YCB Constitution




		1. NAME The Yorkshire County Cricket Board (The Board) 2. AIMS To promote the game of cricket at all levels through partnership of the professional and recreational cricketing bodies and other appropriate agencies within the county of Yorkshire 3. OBJECTIVES 3.1) To apply for membership and become and be a member of the England and Wales Cricket Board Limited (ECB) and to exercise, fulfil and exploit all rights, responsibilities and opportunities therefrom. 3.2) To recognise the continuance of the responsibilities and functions of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Yorkshire Cricket Association working under their respective rules and constitutions and subject thereto to be responsible for the organisation of cricketing activity and the development of cricket generally within the county. 3.3) To co-ordinate the work of all the differing individual cricketing agencies within the County ensuring that adequate channels of communication are in place and that the best possible use is made of the resources available 3.4) To prioritise the implementation within the County of the various aspects of National, Regional and Local Development Plans. 3.5) To represent the County in the formulation of National and Regional cricketing policies and the implementation thereof within the County. 3.6) To promote interest in Cricket at all levels and to foster and develop active participation in the game. 3.7) To endeavour at all times to uphold the high traditions and spirit and Laws of the game. 3.8) To act as the advosory body on the provision of cricket facilities with particular reference to liaison and consultation with Local Authorities. 3.9) To have close consultation and liaison with whoever may be concerned or need to be consulted for consideration of cricket problems and development, taking into account not only the game itself but the umpiring, club and ground maintenance, financial considerations and general administration. 4. MEMBERSHIP 4.1) The first members shall be the Yorkshire County Cricket Club,the Yorkshire Cricket Association, the Association of Cricket Coaches and the Yorkshire Schools Cricket organisations. 4.2) Any other organisation interested in the organisation,development or promotion of Cricket or an aspect of Cricket at any level within the County shall be entitled to apply for and become a Member upon such basis as may from time to time be determined by the Board and if such basis includes conferring a vote upon any Member or other change in these rules as may be agreed by the first Members. 4.3) The membership of the Board shall also be composed of the Leagues and Clubs and other bodies of cricket clubs operating within Yorkshire. 4.4) The Yorkshire Womens Cricket Association, the Yorkshire Senior Schools Cricket Association, the Yorkshire Schools Cricket Association, the Joe Lumb Cricket Competition, the Lords Taverners Yorkshire Junior Cricket Festival, the Yorkshire Cricket Board Coaches Association , Yorkshire branches of the Association of Cricket Umpires & Scorers., the Yorkshire Association of Groundsmen / Institute of Groundsmanship, the YCCC Charitable Youth Trust, shall be members Junior Leagues specfically concerned with the provision of cricket facilities for players under 18 years of age. Leagues or Competitions where participating Clubs are already affiliated through the membership of other Leagues shall also be members. 4.5) Membership of the Board and its member organisations and of all the Member Clubs of such organisations shall be open to all, irrespective of age, disability, race, origin, colour, social status and sexual orientation. 5 THE BOARD 5.1) The affairs of the Board shall be managed and all rights and responsibilities of the Board shall be exercised and performed by those specified in 5.2. [PROVIDED THAT if and so long as the Board is a member of ECB and under the Articles of Association of ECB has a right to cast a "B" vote at any general meeting of ECB, that right shall be exercised only in accordance with such directions as may from time to time be received by the Board from the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and in the absence of such directions as a majority of the members of the Board nominated by the Yorkshire County Cricket Club shall determine] 5.2)The composition of the Board shall be: (A)Five members nominated by Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Five members nominated by Yorkshire Cricket Association. One member nominated by the Yorkshire schools cricket organisations One member nominated by the YCB Coaches Association. One member nominated by Yorkshire Womens Cricket Association. (B) A Chairman nominated from the Management Board for a two year term of office (C) A Vice-Chairman nominated from the Management Board for a two year term of office. (D) A Treasurer appointed annually by the Management Board. 5.3) Each such member of the Board (13) shall have one vote. The Chairman shall have a casting vote. 5.4) Ex-officio or co-opted non-voting members may be invited to attend on the Management Board but only by a decision of the Management Board. 5.5) A nomination of a member of the Management Board shall be effective if and when received in writing by the Secretary 5.6) The Management Board may establish such Sub-Committees as it shall from time to time think fit and to delegate to them such functions as it shall from time to time determine. 5.7) The March meeting of the Management Board shall constitute its Annual General Meeting 6. ADMINISTRATION 6.1) A Secretary will be appointed at the Annual General Meeting or as required from time to time by the Management Board, who may also appoint Assistants to the Secretary. 6.2) Minutes of all meetings shall be produced and made available to all appropriate bodies. 6.3) The Management Board shall appoint an Honorary Solicitor, Honorary Rating Surveyor and Valuer and Auditors at its Annual General Meeting. The appropriate Honorary Solicitor or Honorary Rating Surveyor and Valuer may be asked to attend a particular meeting or meetings to deal with a specific subject but will not have a vote. 7. FINANCE 7.1) The Board shall procure that proper accounting records be kept of all transactions, assets and liabilities which shall give a clear and accurate view of the affairs of the Board. 7.2) Signatories to accounts shall be four members of the Board , two out of four to sign. 7.3) The financial year shall end on 30 September each year 7.4) The accounts for each year together with auditors report thereon shall be available for the scrutiny of the Board and of the Members no later than 28 February of the following year. 7.5) The Annual Subscription for Clubs who are members qf organisations as defined in 4.3 shall be as determined from lime to time by the Board. Leagues will become fully affiliated members of the Board when the subscriptions of all their member clubs are received 7.6) All subscriptions and donations shall be due and payable on 1 March and must be paid by 30 June to the Honorary Treasurer. Failure to make payment by the prescribed date may incur a fine of up to £5.00 payable within 14 days of receipt of the notice and the withdrawal of membership rights until all obligations have been met. If full and complete settlement is not made within the additional period the matter will be referred back to the Management Board whose decision will be final until the next A. G. M. when expulsion shall be the ultimate decision. 7.7) The Yorkshire Cricket Board will provide the Yorkshire Cricket Association with a sum of money equivalent to 20% of the team subscription monies paid the Board each year. 7.8) The Yorkshire Cricket Board will provide each Area Council with a sum of money equivalent to 20% of the team subscription monies paid to the Board each Year 7.9) Honoraria, if any, to be paid to any individual shall be agreed at the Annual General Meeting. Such Honoraria shall be awarded in respect of the previous year. (NB Honoraria to such as Sub-Committee Secretaries will now be paid by the Board) 8. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD 8.1) The Board shall meet at least four times a year. 8.2) A quorum shall be not less than one-half of the voting members of the Board 8.3) Reasonable notice ( normally 21 days) of meetings of the Management Board shall be given to each member of the Management Board. Dates should normally be agreed at the previous meeting. 9. ANNUAL REPORT TO THE ENGLISH CRICKET BOARD 9.1) The Board shall furnish an annual report to ECB in such form as ECB may from time to time reasonably require. 9.2) The Board shall furnish a report to all members and to the Annual General Meeting of the Yorkshire Cricket Association. 10. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS 10.1) Honorary Life Members may be appointed in recognition of valuable service to the Yorkshire Cricket Board or to the Executive of one of its predecessors (in part), after they have retired from office and it is clearly established that it is unlikely that they will return in any capacity. They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting only on the nomination of the Management Board. 11. RELATIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS AND IN RESPECT OF INDIVIDUALS 11.1 DISCIPLINE 11.1.1 Suspension No member organisation shall accept into membership, association or service any person who after official inquiry and and investigation shall have been adjudged guilty of such conduct as to have justified his expulsion or suspension from any organisation affiliated directly or indirectly, to the Board until the period of such disciplinary action has been completed and then only on the person being able to produce a Clearance certificate where this is appropriate. Such persons shall have the right of appeal to the Appeals Panel of the Board whose decision shall be final. 11.1.2 In the event of a player, Club, or League or Association official or any other person or Club or League or Association being adjudged guilty of misconduct by word or action or showing dissent or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute in any activity organised by or under the control of the Yorkshire Cricket Board, Yorkshire Cricket Association or one of its Area Councils, the organising SubCommittee of the Board or the appropriate Area Cricket Council shall take such action which they consider appropriate against the player , Club, League or Association official or any other person or Club or League or Association concerned. Such penalties as are imposed shall be binding on Clubs. Leagues or Association affiliated to the Yorkshire Cricket Board itself and to all its Area Cricket Councils. There shall be right of appeal to the Appeals Panel of the Board in respect of any decision and their decision shall be final. The Appeals Panel qf the Board called to adjudicate on any appeal shall not include any member qf the organising Subcommittee, appropriate Area Cricket Council nor other member of the Board or the Council of the Yorkshire Cricket Association with an interest in the case. The contents of 11.1.2 except in respect of "any other person" shall be associated strictly with 11.1.1. (NB Standing Orders state that the Emergency Committee shall be responsible for appointing any Appeals Panel of the Council). 11.1.3 Disputes between Members - Appeal hearings In the event of a Member Organisation as defined in rules 3.1. 3.2 and 3.3 being in dispute with another Member Organisation over any matter which cannot be settled directly between the parties concerned, then either party shall have the right of appeal to the Appeals Panel of the Board. All parties shall abide by the decision of that panel which shall be final. The Appeal Panel of the Board called to adjudicate in any such appeal shall not include any member with any interest in the case. 11.2 TRANSFER OF PLAYERS 11.2.1 A Club affiliated to a member League as in 4.3 or a member being an individual Club ( which in all circumstances implies Officials, members or society interested in that Club) shall not approach or negotiate with any player of any other Club similarly associated with the Board for the purpose of securing his services without asking the player's Club, in writing, for permission to do so. The permission may only be withheld if there is an outstanding obligation by the player and must, otherwise, be sent in writing or in the case of a player moving to a club in another League be sent on an official YCB Player Transfer Form, to the requesting Club within 14 days. Complaints arising under this Ride should normally be settled by the Clubs and or Leagues involved. Failing settlement appeal should he made to the Board whose decision shall be final. 11.2.2. A player shall not negotiate with a Club affiliated to a member or with a member being an individual club unless he can produce written permission from his present Club. Such permission must be provided within seven days unless the player has outstanding obligations to that Club and in the case of the player moving to a club in another League be sent on an official YCB Player Transfer Form. The player shall have the right of appeal to the Board whose decision shall be final should he consider permission is being withheld without just cause. 11.2.3 Where a player is a bonafide member of two or more clubs, afflliated to (a) Member Saturday League(s), his/ her registration shall only be held by one of those clubs. Any movement for playing purposes between these clubs shall comply with all the transfer requirements of other sections of the rule. When a Club has teams in more than one League, arrangements for the movement of players between the Leagues concerned should be agreed with the respective Leagues prior to the commencement of the Season. 11.2.4. Should a player registered with any Member club, being under the age of 21 and not being capped by any County, Club be invited to play with the Yorkshire Academy team, he may do so and subsequently return to the club with which he is registered without the need for a YCB Player Transfer Form to be completed in either case. 11.2.5. A player moving clubs for the following season must have the necessary YCB Player Transfer Form, letter or certificate from his previous club certifying that he has no obligations, financial, disciplinary or otherwise to that Club. In the case of a plover moving to a Club in another League, an official YCB Player Transfer Form MUST be used. This form constitutes a registration with a new club for the following year and the player is registered with his new club upon completion of the from. Any further change of club can only be by consent of the parties concerned following the procedure in the first paragraph. Where a player has entered into a written contract with a club for the following year and in the event of a subsequent wish to further change clubs, the club for which he has signed the contract is deemed to be his previous club and the contract, unless terminated by consent, means he has an obligation to that club. Copies of all completed transfer forms must be submitted to the League Secretary concerned. 11.3 TRANSFER OF CLUBS A Club affiliated to a member (League) shall not negotiate with another member (League) with the intention to leave the former to join the latter without first obtaining permission , in writing , from the member (League) to which it is affiliated. Such permission shall only be withheld if the Club has failed to fulfil its financial obligations or has failed to observe the Rides qf the member (League) in respect of withdrawal of membership which should not conflict with the Rules of the Board or Yorkshire Cricket Association. If a member (League) does not provide the necessary written permission within fourteen days, the Club shall have the right of appeal to the Board. Permission to negotiate shall not be interpreted as resignation or dismissal but should the date by which resignations are due to be received pass without further written notification of future action from the Club, the written permission to negotiate shall then be deemed to be invalid without further action being necessary by the member (League). Clubs wishing to resign from any League or Association should give notice in writing before 30th April in the Year previous to the season in which they intend to play in that League or Association. In the event of a club having to vacate a League or Association due to a change in the constitution of that League or Association, the club may be permitted to join another League or Association without notice prior to 30 April in the previous year, providing there are no outstanding obligations of any kind to the League or Association they are leaving. NB .Any League receiving applications from a Member Club to move from another Member (League) must inform YCA so that the Association can monitor club movement (The Board strongly advises that no member (League) should consider an application for membership nor negotiate with a Club affiliated to a member League without first receiving a copy of the written permission of the Clubs present member league outlined above). 11.4 MIDWEEK AND SUNDAY MATCHES Rules 11.2 and 11.3 shall not prevent any players from taking part in Midweek and Sunday matches organised by any properly constituted and independent Midweek and Sunday League, except in so far as the Rules may relate to the Transfer of players and Clubs within such Leagues (On 9 January 1989 the Council of the Yorkshire Cricket Association gave the following ruling and interpretation: "Where a Member Saturday League has a separately organised Sunday Section , then for the purposes of Rule 11. 2, 11.3 and 11.4 this Section shall be regarded as an independent Sunday League".) 11.5 UNACCEPTABLE TRANSFER REQUESTS Should a Member or any of its affiliated Clubs consider that an unacceptable number of approaches is being made by another member in respect of its players (through that member's affiliated Clubs) there shall be a right qf appeal by the Member to the Board which has a bounden duty to protect the interests of all its members. There shall be no appeal from the Board's decision. 12. CONSTITUTION 12.1 Alterations to this constitution may only be made by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the Board. 12.2 Amendments to the constitution should be received by 28th February each year and should be circulated to Management Board members 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting 12.3 Amendments can be forwarded for consideration by the Council or Annual General Meeting of the Yorkshire Cricket Association. 13. GENERAL The Management Board shall be empowered to act as deemed necessary in respect of any matter not otherwise covered by these rules.