WESSEX POOL ASSOCIATION

WPA "The Association" Rules

Constitution

1) The name of the association shall be the WESSEX POOL ASSOCIATION hereafter called 'The Association'.

2) The Association is formed for the purposes of promoting the game of pool in pubs/clubs, to organise individual, pairs and team knockout competitions and to negotiate sponsorship for the game within The Association.

Committee

1) The Association shall elect a committee to manage all business appertaining to the Association.

2) The committee will be made up of a maximum of 12 representatives from affiliated teams. From these committee members, 3 Main Officers will be elected by the Committee the first meeting after the AGM. These officers will be The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
To be elected as one of the Officers you must have served on the committee for at least one year.
The committee will then delegate the following positions amongst the committee members:-
Vice-Chairman, Assistant Treasurer, Competition Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Divisional Reps, Delegate(s) for other WPA competitions run during the season.
All officers/committee members will hold office for one year. All retiring officers/committee members will be eligible to stand for re-election.
The committee will appoint any member of the incumbent sub-committee to fill any vacancy that may occur providing that such a vacancy occurs during his/her period in office. Members can also be co-opted by the committee to help with the running of the Association. Co-opted members however, are not full committee members and are only co-opted until the AGM.

3) The committee shall have full authority to make any decisions that in its opinion is deemed necessary or beneficial to its members.

4) The committee shall have the right to alter or amend any fixture or advertisement that they consider not necessary. At all meetings 3 representatives including 1 officer of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of carrying on the business of the Association.

5) Any member of the committee may call an Extra Ordinary Meeting after giving at least 4 days notice to the secretary and giving the reason they require the meeting. The reason to be given to all members of the committee 2 days before the meeting.

6) Normal meetings to be held on the first Sunday of every month. (Second Sunday if the first Sunday is a Bank Holiday)

7) The committee's decision shall be final in all matters relating to The Association.

8) Any member of the committee who is continuously absent from normal meetings will be dealt with by the committee.

9) During voting all committee members present (except Chairman) will have one vote. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman will have the second casting vote. Co-Opted Members do not have a vote.

10) No member of the committee may take part in any vote involving a team or individual who plays in the team which the member represents.

11) All monies held by The Association will after deduction of managerial expenses be used for the benefit of all members of The Association.

12) The following officers (Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary) will be responsible for the finances of The Association, all cheques must have two (2) signatures as per the bank mandate, (Treasurer, Chairman or Secretary). The Treasurer will check all income and expenditure and at all times observe proper banking procedures.

13) The Treasurer will provide details of funds available quarterly at the normal committee meetings, and a full annual Income and Expenditure one week prior to the A.G.M.

Membership

1) Membership of the Association will be open to teams playing from venues in the Bournemouth and Poole area providing the venue has at least one standard size pool table. (i.e.) standard size being 7 x 4, balls to be a different colour to the cloth. Venues must be within the following boundaries to accept teams into the league: Bournemouth, Poole , Creekmoor, Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Ferndown, Ringwood, Bransgore & Christchurch. This is a local league so players must reside no more than 10 miles away from the above boundaries to be able to play for a team within the league. (We will however allow a maximum of 2 players per team from outside the boundaries subject to committee approval)

2) The committee reserve the right to refuse membership to any team or individual if for any reason they consider that granting membership shall be detrimental to the Association.

3) The fee for teams wishing to affiliate to the WPA will be determined annually by the committee. Any teams not paying their affiliation fee within 21 days from application will be deemed to have resigned their membership and will be refused all benefits of the Association

Discipline

1) The committee reserve the right to fine, suspend or expel any member or committee member for breach of these rules or any rules that the committee make at any future time, or for any act deemed to have brought The Association into disrepute. Any team or individual player or Committee Member accused of any offence against The Association will be given every opportunity to defend themselves or explain their conduct to the committee, except for Gross-Misconduct where the Committee reserves the Right of Appeal.

2) Any team or individual player or Committee Member who is expelled from the WPA may not enter any competition organised by The Association, (subject to appeal), or play for any team who is a member of The Association until he/she has been re-admitted after appeal or serving of such a suspension. They will also forfeit the whole of any subscription paid for the current year, or competition entry fees and rights or entitlements formally given to them as a members of the Association.

3) Any team who expels a player must notify the Secretary in writing giving the reasons for expulsion.

Annual General Meeting

1) The Annual General Meeting of the Association will take place yearly at which the election of the committee will take place and any proposed changes to the Association rules from members are discussed and voted on.

2) Only winter league team members are allowed to attend the AGM plus the committee of the Association.

3) Any member wishing to add any item to the agenda must notify the Secretary in writing 14 days before the annual general meeting. Only items entered upon the agenda of the meeting will be debated.

4) Winter league team captains (or captains nominated representative) and the committee shall have one vote only, with the exception of the Chairman who shall have a casting vote where needed.

5) Any member wishing to become a committee member must apply to the Secretary in writing 14 days before the annual general meeting.

6) A third of the Existing Committee Members (4 Members) will automatically stand down after serving on the committee for a period of 3 years. Should they wish to re-stand, they will offer themselves for re-election along with any New Committee Members who have applied to the Secretary. Providing there are no more than 12 people who wish to stand, the existing committee plus any new members will be voted back on block to serve for a period of 3 years by being seconded by the members at the AGM. If however, more than 12 people wish to stand, then the members present at the AGM will vote for 4 people and the 4 people who have the most votes will be elected onto the committee to serve for a period of 3 years.

7) Any planned alteration to the Constitution can be discussed at normal meetings, but can only be changed either at the Annual General Meeting or an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting providing that there is a quorum and a majority of members present at the meeting vote for the motion.