BRADFORD BULLS SQUAD BOOSTER ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

Introduction

  • This document sets out BBSBA’s governance arrangements, along with the agreed responsibilities of the Trustees and Members.
  • This Constitution will be reviewed by the Trustees annually.

Name

  • The name of the association will be ‘Bradford Bulls Squad Booster Association’ (BBSBA).

Administration

  • The BBSBA shall be administered and managed in accordance with the Constitution by the Trustees.

Objectives

  • BBSBA is a non-profit making independent supporters association, with no official ties to the Bradford Bulls Rugby Football League Club.
  • The objective of the BBSBA is to provide funds to help the Bradford Bulls Rugby Football League Club to sign new or existing first team players.

Membership

  • Full BBSBA membership is achieved by making financial donations to BBSBA that equal or exceed £60 in a financial year (ending 30th November each year) by one of the following methods:
    • Monthly Standing Order (for example £5 per month). Full membership will be conferred when a total of £60 has been paid within the financial year
    • Yearly donation (for example one £60 donation per annum). Full membership will be conferred when a minimum annual donation of £60 has been paid within the financial year.
    • Donations of any other frequency by standing order, bank transfer, cash or cheque that total £60 within the financial year.
  • The frequency of donation can be changed (from monthly to yearly for example) in accordance with personal circumstances. Members wishing to do this should notify the Treasurer.
  • An up-to-date list of current members will be held and maintained by the Trustees.
  • All members must abide by the relevant sections of this constitution.
  • If an occasion arises where a general vote of the membership is required (e.g. at an Annual General Meeting) each member shall have one vote only, regardless of the amount or frequency of the financial donation they make to BBSBA.
  • Members will be invited to attend BBSBA events as and when these are arranged (e.g. a talk from the Bulls head coach or other members of staff, or meetings with players etc.).
  • Membership will cease if:
    • A member fails to make payments totalling at least £60 within a financial year (ending 30th November).
    • A member chooses to cancel their membership. The Treasurer should be given notice of their intention in writing.
    • In the case of death or serious illness.

Committee

  • BBSBA will be run by one annually elected Committee comprising a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine Trustees.
  • No member can stand for election as a Trustee if they are involved in the Bradford Bulls RFL Club in an official capacity (e.g. an employee, a member of the board, etc.)
  • No person shall be appointed as a Trustee who is aged under 18, has been disqualified as a company director, or convicted of fraud or money laundering.
  • The Committee will have the following Trustee roles:
    • Chairperson – to chair meetings and have a casting vote if applicable.
    • Vice Chair – to cover in the Chairperson’s absence.
    • Secretary – to prepare agendas, arrange, minute, and publish meetings (including AGM) and to manage correspondence on behalf of the Committee.
    • Treasurer – to manage all financial transactions and to ensure annual reports are prepared for audit purposes by no later than 30th September each year.
    • Three further ordinary members.
  • All Trustees shall retire from office together at the end of each Annual General Meeting (AGM), but they may be re-elected or re-appointed.
  • All nominations for Trustees should be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least one month before the AGM. Appointments will be made by a vote of the members at the AGM.
  • The proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among the Trustees or by any failure to appoint.
  • A Trustee shall cease to hold office if he or she:
    • Becomes incapable due to mental disorder, illness, or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs; or
    • Is absent without permission of the Trustees from all their meetings held within a period of nine months and the Trustees resolve that his or her office be vacated.

General Committee Meetings

  • General Committee Meetings (for which a quorum of four is required) will be held quarterly (four times per year), or as determined by the Committee.
  • The Committee may invite other individuals to attend their meetings as deemed appropriate.
  • The Chairperson or Vice Chair shall act as chair at meetings of the Committee. If the Chairperson and Vice Chair are both absent from any meeting, the Trustees present shall choose one of their number to be chair of the meeting before any other business is transacted.
  • The Trustees shall keep minutes of all meetings of the committee.
  • If after 30 minutes from the time stated for the commencement of the meeting, there is still no quorum, the meeting shall be cancelled and another meeting arranged within 21 days.
  • Each Trustee shall have only one vote on any resolution on which he or she is entitled to vote. Every resolution shall be decided by a majority of the votes of those present and entitled to vote on the question.
  • The Trustees shall always ensure that the BBSBA complies with legal requirements in force and any rules appertaining to the conduct of the activities being undertaken.
  • A Special Committee Meeting may be called at any time by the Chairperson or by any three Trustees upon not less than seven days’ notice being given to the other Trustees of the matters to be discussed. All such notices must be given in writing.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  • The AGM will be held in November or December, and members will be notified in writing one month before the scheduled date.
  • The Chairperson (or in their absence, the Vice Chair) of the BBSBA shall be the chair of each annual and any extraordinary general meeting, but if s/he is not present, before any other business is transacted, the Trustees present shall appoint a chair of the meeting.
  • The Trustees shall present to the AGM for approval the report and audited accounts of the BBSBA for the preceding financial year.
  • At the AGM, an election of Trustees will take place.
  • Nominations and applications for Trustees should be received in advance of the meeting, in writing, and must be proposed and seconded by current BBSBA members. Should a vote be required, this will be taken at the AGM.
  • Agenda items should be put in writing to the Secretary prior to the date of the meeting.
  • Members will have the opportunity of proposing and voting on changes to the BBSBA Constitution at each AGM. All rule change proposals should be made in writing to the Secretary prior to the date of the AGM. A vote of two thirds of the members present at the AGM will be required for a change to be carried.
  • An Extraordinary General Meeting can be called at any time by any individual who gains the backing of two thirds of BBSBA members, or at any time by the Committee through a simple majority vote of the Trustees.

BBSBA Funds

  • The funds of the BBSBA shall be used to support the delivery of its stated objectives (i.e. ‘to provide funds to help the Bradford Bulls Rugby Football League Club to sign new or existing first team players’).
  • All funds which are raised because of BBSBA activity will be paid into the designated bank account, which will be managed by the Treasurer on behalf of the Trustees. Examples of these activities may include:
    • Standing Order donations from members (monthly or annually)
    • Independent Donations (e.g. ad hoc donations, bequests etc.).
  • Any monies raised will be donated to Bradford Bulls RLFC upon the request of the Head Coach, or their nominated official. Requests must be made in writing (letter or email) to the BBSBA Chairperson.
  • All requests for monies from the Club which meet the stated objectives of BBSBA will be automatically accepted by the Trustees (subject to the availability of funds).
  • Once the release of funding has been approved and actioned by the Committee, the Chief Executive or Chairperson of the club must provide written confirmation (letter or email) to the BBSBA Chairperson detailing which specific player(s) (existing or new) the funding has been used to secure. The BBSBA Committee must then make sure that, subject to commercial sensitivities, this information is made available to its members at the earliest opportunity via the BBSBA website or social media-based feeds.
  • In order that the BBSBA Trustees can manage members’ contributions correctly, they should be informed at the earliest opportunity of any financial commitments made by the Club for which it is proposed that BBSBA support will be requested.
  • Requests for BBSBA funds for any purpose other than player retention or signing must be submitted to the Committee, who will then decide as to whether members need to be consulted. In this case, the Committee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting, with all members invited.
  • Signatories on the BBSBA bank account shall be decided by the Committee. Names of these signatories will be available to members upon written request to the Secretary.
  • No personal expenses will be paid to any Trustee of BBSBA in connection with disbursement of duties. Any request for reimbursement of expenditure for items purchased on behalf of BBSBA will require full receipts and need to have been sanctioned by the Committee in advance. This must also be recouped in full, with all transactions included in the yearly accounts.
  • An audit of the accounts shall be undertaken each year following approval of a designated independent person at the AGM.

Constitution

  • The Constitution may be altered by a resolution supported by no less than two thirds of the members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting. The notice of the Annual General Meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.

General

  • The Committee shall, at its discretion, consider and implement actions seen to be in the interests of BBSBA. Any decision made by the Committee will be a final one.
  • The BBSBA registered office will be at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, BD6 1BS.

Dissolution

  • If a majority of Trustees decide that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the BBSBA, it shall call a meeting of all Trustees (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed), for which not less than 21 days’ notice shall be given. If the proposal is supported by two thirds of those Trustees present and voting, the Trustees shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the BBSBA.
  • In the event of BBSBA folding, any funds which are left in the account will be donated automatically to an appropriate rugby league charity at the discretion of the Committee.

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