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HERITAGE NETBALL LEAGUE

 Established 1997 
Affiliated to England Netball and Bedfordshire County Netball Association 
 

THE HERITAGE NETBALL LEAGUE & ACADEMY CONSTITUTION 
1) NAME 
a) The league shall be called The Heritage Netball League (HNL). The Heritage Netball  Academy (HNLA) is associated with the HNL. 
b) If a sponsor for the league is obtained, the League Committee shall have the right to  amend the League’s name to incorporate the sponsor’s name. 
c) The HNL is responsible at all times to the Bedfordshire County Netball Association  (BCNA) and England Netball (EN).  
 

2) VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT. 
VISION 
To plan, develop and sustain the growth of netball within our local community. 
MISSION 
We will create and deliver our objectives which meet the needs and expectations of   HNL members. 
 

3) OBJECTIVES 
a) To adopt the regulations, policies and procedures formulated by EN and BCNA as  applicable to members of EN and BCNA. 
b) To co-ordinate and deliver the BCNA objectives which meet the needs and  expectations of the BCNA ‘s netball membership. 
c) Organise events for the benefit of members. 
d) To raise funds, such as fees, and employ the funds of the League as shall be deemed  to be in the best interest of the members and the game. 
e) To ensure robust governance procedures and high operational standards are in place  to enable the needs of our members to be met. 
f) To operate bank account(s)/investments in the name of the HNL; manage HNL  resources in an effective and efficient manner.  
g) To promote and uphold the game’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment,  achievement and fun.
 

4) LEAGUE COMMITTEE 
a) The management of the affairs of the HNL shall be vested in the HNL League  Committee. 
b) The structure of the HNL is decided by the HNL League Committee. c) The HNL League Committee shall consist of representatives from the HNL/HNLA,  elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. 
d) The HNL League Committee shall consist of representatives from HNL/HNLA Chair,  League Secretary, Treasurer, Umpiring Secretary, Match Secretaries (the number as  deemed necessary by the League Committee), Web administrator, Press Secretary,  Social Secretary, Trophy Secretary and Academy Secretary plus up to 6 committee  members. The HNL League Committee shall have the right to co-opt further members  as the need arises. Co-Opted members shall have no voting rights. 
e) The HNL League Committee shall have the right to form sub-committees when  necessary and with powers as HNL League Committee deem fit. 
f) The HNL League Committee shall have the right to form an independent appeals  panel, comprising of members who were not involved in the initial  grievance/complaint or the initial decision of the original grievance/complaint. 
g) The HNL League Committee shall have the right to fill any vacancies that occur during  the year with Co-opt members who will fill the vacancy for the expired term. h) Terms of reference for all HNL members shall be held on file and reviewed periodically. i) HNL League Committee meetings shall be held at least every 8 weeks during the  playing season or more often if required, including one pre-season and one end of  season. Only elected members shall attend HNL League Committee meetings, invited  guests may attend to discuss specific issues. 
j) A quorum to make decisions at HNL League Committee meetings is 50% of the elected  number. 
k) Each HNL League Committee member is entitled to one vote on issues at meetings,  unless they have a vested interest in the issue for discussion, whereupon they must  abstain. 
l) In the absence of the Chair at any meeting, the Secretary shall preside. In the event of  the absence of both the Chair and the Secretary, another officer may preside and take  minutes of the meeting. 
m) No minutes of meetings or copies of any correspondence shall be passed or divulged  to a third party without the prior written permission of the Chair of the HNL League  Committee. 
n) Ensure that the League complies with the terms of any contract with a third party. o) Indemnify any member of the HNL League Committee who enters into a contract  under Clause 6.2.1 in respect of any reasonable expenses and reasonable costs, losses  or liabilities, judgements, fines and amount paid in settlement, which she/he may  reasonably incur or sustain because of entering into such contract. 
p) Members of the HNL League Committee must act in accordance with the powers set  out in this constitution and must exercise independent judgement taking reasonable  care, skill and diligence, whilst avoiding conflicts of interest and conflicts of loyalty.
q) The HNL League Committee shall have the right to request a committee member to  resign their elected position if: 

          a) The HNL League Committee member is not carrying out their full designated  duties. 
          b) The HNL League Committee member does not attend for 3 consecutive  meetings (without reasonable                       extenuating circumstances).  
         c) They become bankrupt or is subject to bankruptcy proceedings or makes  arrangement of composition with                  her/his creditors generally (including  entering into an individual voluntary arrangement); or discloses an                       unspent  conviction or is found to have a conviction for fraud, dishonesty or theft. The  HNL League                             Committee reserve the right to make a decision based on the  perceived reputational risk to the league and                  the game. 
 

5) JURISDICTION AND MEMBERSHIP 
a) HNL shall comprise of an area approximately 10 mile radius of Biggleswade subject to  HNL League Committee discretion. 
b) Upon payment of the appropriate annual County, Regional and/or EN membership  fee, the members of the HNL shall be: 
Voting Members: 
Clubs whose Primary County is Bedfordshire. In accordance with the EN constitution  and the BCNA constitution, each club will have one vote. Each officer will have one  vote. In the event of equal votes, the Chair shall have a (further) casting vote. Non-voting Members: 
Any person who plays, coaches, umpires, officiates or organises netball or is in any  way connected with the game of netball within the HNL. 
c) Any member of the HNL (as defined in 4c) may nominate person(s) to be an elected  person of the HNL League Committee. Completed nominations must be signed by the  nominee indicating consent to their nomination. A member of the HNL League Committee may nominate only one candidate for each vacant post.  
d) Nomination forms will be circulated to team captains and completed forms must be  returned no later than 10 days before the date of the HNL. Elections will be by a  simple majority vote at the AGM. 
 

6) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 
a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held in every calendar year during the month of  June. 
b) The date and the agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall be circulated to all  members entitled to vote, no later than 21 days before the meeting. c) Voting at the Annual General Meeting will be in accordance with the EN Constitution  – Each club will have one vote. Each officer will have one vote. 
d) Business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting shall be: 
        1) To receive reports and accounts covering the previous season. 
        2) To elect HNL League Committee Officers and members.  
       3) To consider any proposed resolution submitted in writing 14 days before the date  of the meeting, which has                been proposed and seconded by two members. e) The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or                  the non-receipt of notice of  a meeting by, any person/member entitled to receive such notice shall not                       invalidate  any resolution passed or the proceedings at that meeting. 
 
7) EXTRA-ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING 
a) An extra-ordinary General Meeting may be convened: 
          1) By order of the HNL League Committee.  
         2) Upon written request to the League Secretary from one third or more of those  entitled to vote at the Extra                Ordinary General Meeting. 
b) Each requisition shall state the purpose for which a meeting is required and shall set  out any resolution that is desired to propose. 
c) The meeting shall be held within 28 days of receipt of the requisition by the League  Secretary and 14 day’s notice of the meeting. Any resolution proposed, shall be given  to every member entitled to vote. 
 

8) FINANCE 
a) An independent auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to inspect  and audit the League accounts annually. 
b) The Financial year of the League shall be 01 May to 30 April 
c) The HNL League Committee shall cause accurate accounting records for the League to  be kept that are sufficient to show and explain the Association’s transactions and  disclose with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position of the HNL  League. 
d) The HNL League Committee are responsible for the preparation of the annual  accounts and must not approve them unless they are satisfied, they give a true and  fair view of the state of affairs of the HNL League and of the surplus or deficit of the  HNL League for that period. 
e) In preparing the annual accounts, the HNL League Committee are required to: 1) select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; 
2) make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and 3) prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to  presume that the HNL League will continue in business. 
f) The accounting records shall be kept at such place as is determined by the HNL League Committee and must be retained for a minimum period of six years. 
g) The annual accounts shall be scrutinised by an auditor, appointed by the HNL League Committee, who has the requisite ability and experience to carry out a competent  financial examination.
h) The HNL League Committee shall determine and be responsible for all financial  procedures and regulations, including the Expenses Regulations. 
i) The HNL League is a ‘not for profit’ organisation, all funds generated will be paid  towards the furtherance of its objectives. All funds or other property of the HNL League shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the HNL League Committee, with the exception of the dissolution clause below. Payments to  individuals, other than petty cash expenses, shall be sanctioned by the HNL League  Committee and subject to the appropriate employment/contractual legislation. 
 

9) INDEMNITY. 
a) Members of the HNL League Committee, and any such sub committees shall be  indemnified out of the assets of the HNL League against all reasonable expenses and  all reasonable costs, losses or liabilities, judgements, fines and amounts paid in  settlement, which they may reasonably incur of sustain in relation to the proper and  lawful execution of their duties, or by reason of any task properly performed for and  with the authority of the HNL League Committee. 
b) The indemnity in Clause 10 above only applies if the person acted honestly and in good  faith and the best interests of the League. Also, in the case of criminal proceedings,  the person must had had no reasonable cause to believe that her/his conduct was  unlawful. 
 

10) TROPHIES 
a) All trophies remain the property of the HNL League. 
b) All trophies must be returned by the teams holding them on a date advised by the  HNL League. Failure to do so will render that team responsible for having the  trophy(s) cleaned, engraved and available for the Annual Presentation. 
c) Teams will be held responsible for the loss or damage to the HNL League trophies. d) The replacement of trophies through normal wear and tear to be reviewed annually  by the HNL League Committee. 
 

11) DISSOLUTION 
a) In the event of the HNL League being wound up, any monies in hand shall be  donated to a charity or organisation to be named by the League Committee in liaison  with BCNA.
 

Version 06/09/21 

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