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Club Constitution


  1. The club shall be called the Leicestershire Orienteering Club (LEI)
  2. The aim of the club shall be to further the development of and participation in orienteering within Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire and to represent the interests of orienteers based within these areas and support their activities within the sport.
  3. The affairs of the club shall be administered by a committee composed of four officers and such other members as are elected at a general meeting - to be eligible for election members must have expressed a willingness to serve and to have been nominated by not less than two other members.
  4. The officers will comprise a Chair Person, Vice Chair Person, Secretary and Treasurer who will be elected at the annual general meeting each year but may be replaced at a properly constituted extraordinary general meeting.
  5. The members at an annual general meeting are authorised to elect an honorary president as an appreciation of service rendered. If so elected the person in question is an ex-officio member of the committee, with full voting powers. They may also grant honorary membership for services to or support of the club although it is not intended that this should include active orienteers. Any honorary member so elected shall have full voting rights and may participate in any activities of the club on the same terms as any Local BOF members of the Club and shall receive the club newsletter and all notices. They shall have no membership of EMOA or BOF by virtue of this position
  6. The annual general meeting shall take place after that of the East Midlands Orienteering Association whilst that association continues to exist. It shall be held after the end of the club's financial year but before the end of the calendar year and the date must be advised to the membership not less than 42 days in advance. A quorum at such a meeting shall be 10 members entitled to vote or 8% of the membership entitled to vote, whichever is the greater number. All proposed amendments to the constitution must be received by the secretary not less than 35 days prior to the date of the AGM, as should any nominations for honorary membership or official position. These proposals must be advised to the membership with the notice convening the meeting which must be forwarded not less than 21 days and not more than 35 days prior to the meeting. Amendments may be accepted at the AGM provided that they directly relate to the matters contained in the formal proposal of which members have been notified. The meeting shall be chaired by the Club Chair Person or if not present by the Club Vice Chair Person or if neither is present by any member elected for the purpose by a majority of members present. The Chair Person of any meeting shall if required, be allowed a casting vote in addition to any vote cast in a personal capacity. Formal notice will be deemed to have been given to members when posted or emailed to the last address advised to the Membership Secretary.
  7. When convening a general meeting the secretary will include in the notice the current number of full members in the club.
  8. The club's financial year will be from August 1st to July 31st but the membership year will conform to that of The British Orienteering Federation.
  9. An extraordinary meeting of the members of the club must be called if so requested by at least 5 members of the club. The secretary must call such a meeting within 14 days with the meeting then to be held between 28 and 42 days later. A quorum at and the conduct of such a meeting shall be the same as for an Annual General Meeting. In the event that the membership of the club falls below 12 a quorum at a general meeting will be 80 % of the membership rounded down.
  10. A simple majority of members present and entitled to vote at any general meeting shall be sufficient to elect to office or to the committee those nominated in advance and advised to the membership with the notice convening the meeting - nomination after this time is permitted but election must be supported by at least 10 members present and a majority of those voting.
  11. No rule in the constitution of the club shall be made, altered or rescinded other than at an annual or extraordinary general meeting - the committee shall have the power from time to time to enact bye-laws as they deem necessary for the proper running of the club during the year but these must be offered to the membership at the next annual general meeting for incorporation into the standing orders.
  12. The committee shall meet as necessary but at least quarterly. All committee members will be advised of such meetings at least 7 days in advance. A quorum at such a meeting shall be not less than 6 or 50% of the total membership of the committee, whichever is the lower number, and must include at least two officers.
  13. All members are entitled to attend committee meetings and, at the discretion of the meeting Chair Person, may be permitted to speak but are not entitled to vote.
  14. The committee is empowered to co-opt further members to the committee for all or part of the year provided that the number of co-opted members does not exceed 20 % of the elected committee.
  15. The committee have power to fill any vacancy among the officers of the club occurring during the year.
  16. The club shall maintain an account or accounts in either a bank or building society and withdrawals must be authorised by two officers acting together excepting only items under £500 which may be signed by the Treasurer acting alone. An Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet shall be prepared each year that fairly represents the financial transactions of the Club for the year and the balances held at the end of the financial year and these shall be seen by an Independent Financial Examiner who should express an opinion in writing as to whether they represent a true and fair picture. The Treasurer shall be responsible for retaining the accounting records to meet statutory requirements and those of outside funding sources.
  17. The Independent Financial Examiner shall be appointed at an annual, or extraordinary, general meeting although the Committee shall be able to fill any vacancy that arises during the course of the year. He or she shall be a person with experience in financial matters and shall not be a member of the Committee of the Club. The Independent Financial Examiner shall not be involved in or associated with any significant financial transactions with the Club or the Treasurer.
  18. Membership shall be open to all. Membership fees shall be agreed at the annual general meeting and the Treasurer shall produce his recommendations for such fees. Members shall be enrolled within one of three categories: Junior, Senior or Family, as defined by the British Orienteering Federation. Seniors and Families may elect to be either National BOF members or Local BOF members. In addition Correspondent membership will be offered to those already BOF registered and are joining the Club as an additional club. They have full membership rights. Organisations may affiliate to the club as a Group and all schools within the area covered by the Club which are members of the British Schools Orienteering Association are automatically granted group membership status without further subscriptions. The membership of any member not having paid his / her fees by the end of March will have been deemed to have lapsed. Each member enrolled in the senior, correspondent and junior categories shall be entitled to vote at a general meeting. Each Family enrolled in the Family category shall be entitled to nominate one of their members to vote on their behalf at a general meeting as also may each affiliated group. They may exercise this vote in addition to any vote they have in a personal capacity. No proxy votes will be allowed.
  19. The committee may delegate its powers to sub-committees formed to agree fixtures, organise specific events or any other aspect of the clubs affairs it deems appropriate.
  20. The committee shall be empowered to purchase, rent, hire, lease and/or insure any property or equipment for the benefit of the club or its members. Any member of the committee may act as spokesperson for the club but only nominated representatives may exercise any voting rights on behalf of the club.
  21. The day to day operation of the club will be governed by a set of standing orders which the committee may amend, delete or add to as it sees fit. Any changes must be advised to members at the AGM each year. It shall be the duty of the Committee to decide upon matters not covered by the constitution.
  22. The Club is intent that children and vulnerable adults will find orienteering a safe environment in which to have fun, learn and develop by adopting and promoting the British Orienteering Federation Policy on Protecting Young and Vulnerable People.
  23. Any member behaving in a manner contrary to the rules of the club, the East Midlands Orienteering Association or the British Orienteering Federation or in a way likely to bring the club into disrepute may be summoned to appear before a sub-committee convened for that purpose and may be suspended either for a limited period or indefinitely from taking part in any or all club activities. In such circumstances the member in question has the right of appeal to an Appeals Sub Committee which shall be chaired by the Club Chair Person and shall not include any of the members of the initial sub committee
  24. The assets of the club remain the property of the members as a whole. In the event that the club cannot raise a committee of at least 4 members the assets will first be used to redeem any liabilities of the club and then be passed to East Midlands Orienteering Association or the British Orienteering Federation or their successors. Any resolution to dissolve the club at a properly constituted general meeting where the motion has been previously advised to the members must achieve a 75 % majority of those present and if four or more members oppose the motion it fails.


A copy of the constitution shall be provided to all members on request



Last revised at the AGM 2008.