Constitution

The following constitution was adopted at the Munster Squash A.G.M. of 2002.

Constitution of Munster Squash

Name
The Association shall be called “Munster Squash”

Objects
The Objects of the Munster Squash are:

1. To advance the game of squash in Munster;
2. To select all teams to represent the province;
3. To promote, organise, develop, administer and control the game of Squash and its associated activities in Munster subject to the overall authority of Irish Squash to which this association shall affiliate as a constituent member.
4. To appeal for, collect, receive and spend money on behalf of Munster Squash and to be responsible for the control of the finances of the association.

Membership

The membership of the association shall comprise

(a) Squash clubs in Munster that apply for and are admitted to membership – hereinafter called “Clubs”;
(b) Regional Associations as may be set up by Munster Squash from time to time for the organisation of the game in a portion of the Province;
(c) Honorary members. That is, any individual or organisation admitted to honorary membership by the committee of Munster Squash.

The Committee
Munster Squash shall be managed and controlled by a Committee comprising:
the three members of the Executive (see below)
a Vice-President
the Munster Captains (Ladies Captain and Men’s Captain) 
the Coaching Secretary
the Junior Secretary
the Veterans’ Secretary
the Refereeing and Marking Secretary
Munster’s representatives to Irish Squash
and one representative of each of the counties in Munster all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of Munster Squash.
(added by A.G.M of May 2008) The committee may add to its numbers from time to time as it deems appropriate.

Failure to elect all of the above at the Annual General Meeting of the association will not preclude those elected from managing and controlling the affairs of the association provided all three members of the Executive are elected.
In the event of Regional Associations being set up the secretary and president of such associations shall be members of Munster Squash.

The Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees and to vest in and delegate to any such sub-committee so appointed such powers as it shall from time to time deem necessary and convenient provided that such sub-committees shall include at least one member of the Committee.

The Executive
The Executive of Munster Squash shall comprise the President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer of the Committee. The Executive shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of Munster Squash and the making of decisions on behalf of Munster Squash on occasions when there may be no opportunity to convene a formal meeting of the Committee. All decisions made by the Executive shall be presented for ratification at the next meeting of the Committee.

Meetings of the Committee
The Committee shall meet not less than six times in its year of office. The President shall take the chair at any meeting and in his / her absence the Vice-President, the Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer. At any meeting four members of the committee shall form a quorum.
The Honorary Secretary, who shall give notice of the date, time and place of the proposed meeting to members of the committee, shall arrange meetings of the Committee, upon the instructions of the President.

General Meetings
Munster Squash shall hold an Annual General Meeting in the months of May, June or July in each year at which the following business shall be transacted:

To consider the reports of the members of the Executive;
To elect the members of the committee for the following season;
To appoint an auditor who shall examine and report on the accounts of Munster Squash for the coming season;
To consider and transact any other business of which 14 days notice shall be given to the Honorary Secretary.

A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time at the request of the Committee or on the requisition of five members of Munster Squash for the discussion of any special business provided fourteen days notice of such business to be dealt with at such meeting is specified in the Notice convening the special meeting. The quorum for General Meetings (Annual or Special) shall be 5 members of Munster Squash.

Voting
(a) At Committee meetings each committee member shall have one vote.
(b) At the A.G.M. only affiliated member clubs of Munster Squash shall have a vote. 
(c) Voting shall be by show of hands except for elections where voting shall be by ballot.
(d) All votes must be given in person and proxy voting is not allowed.
(e) In the event of an equality of votes the chairperson shall have an additional casting vote. 

Notice of Meetings
Two weeks written notice of general meetings shall be sent to all members of Munster Squash as well as to all Committee members. In the case of member clubs the notice shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary / Club Captain.
The notice of meeting shall set out the agenda of such meetings. 

Subscriptions
Subscriptions payable to Munster Squash shall include the affiliation fee determined by Irish Squash together with any additional fee determined by the committee and sanctioned by members at the previous Annual General Meeting. All subscriptions become due at the start of each season. Notwithstanding any penalties that may be levied by the Committee due to the late payment of fees no player who is a member of a club that has defaulted in respect of subscription is eligible to play in any Munster Squash competition or to represent Munster on any team.

Selection of Munster Teams
The selection of teams to represent Munster in competition shall be done by the Committee having regard to the criteria in force at the time and on the advice of the relevant person with particular responsibility for that age group or category. Such relevant persons are the Men’s and Ladies’ Captains, the Junior Secretary and the Veterans’ Secretary in the case of Men’s, Ladies, Junior and Veteran teams respectively.

Competition Rules
Competitions run on behalf of Irish Squash shall be governed by the rules of Irish Squash applicable to such competitions.
Competitions run under the jurisdiction of Munster Squash shall be governed by those rules applied to the event by Munster Squash prior to the event and notified on the official notice or entry form.
League Rules are those notified prior to the commencement of that particular league.
Munster Squash reserves the right to alter any and all rules if it deems such alterations to be in the best interest of the game.

Rules of the Game
The rules applicable to squash matches played under the control of Munster Squash shall be those for the time being in force in accordance with the direction of Irish Squash.

Code of Ethics
Munster Squash shall apply the Code of Ethics and Good Practice in Children’s Sport as set out by the Irish Sports Council and adopted by Irish Squash from time to time.

Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures
Munster Squash shall apply the Code of Conduct for the time being in use by Irish Squash and those set out in the Rules of Squash currently in force. Breaches of this code and these rules shall be subject to the following disciplinary procedures:
1. Munster Squash shall deal with all disciplinary matters arising from incidents under its jurisdiction through its Disciplinary Committee. 
2. Complaints from any person alleging a breach of the code of behaviour or the rules of squash shall be considered by the committee of Munster Squash who will decide if the matter should be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for determination in regard to penalties and sanctions if applicable.
3. The Disciplinary Committee shall be a sub-committee of Munster Squash and comprise 4 members appointed by the Committee of Munster Squash at the commencement of the season. One of the members shall be a chairperson with a casting vote. At least one of the members of the Disciplinary Committee shall be a member of the Committee of Munster Squash.
4. Any person who is the subject to a hearing by the Disciplinary Committee shall be informed in writing of the alleged breach of good conduct and shall be entitled to be heard at that meeting. 
5. Decisions of the Disciplinary committee shall be communicated to the Committee of Munster Squash and thence to the parties involved by Munster Squash.
6. Decisions of the Disciplinary Committee may be appealed to an Appeals Committee comprising three persons appointed by Munster Squash for that purpose. No member of the original Disciplinary Committee may be a member of the Appeals Committee.
7. The Decision of the Appeals Committee is Final.

Alteration of this Constitution
This constitution may be altered at a general meeting only (Special or Annual) and provided such alteration is approved by at least two-thirds of those present and voting at such a meeting.

June 2002.