Home Farm Football Club Constitution

Adopted at the AGM on 31^st August 2021

To come into effect on 1^st September 2021

1. Name

The official name of the club is Home Farm Football Club.

Home Farm FC is an unincorporated association.

The address of the Club is 97a Swords Road, Dublin 9 (D09 AX52)

The email address for official communication with the club is info@HomeFarm.ie

The Club colours shall be blue and white hooped shirts, blue shorts and blue stockings.

The emblem of the Club shall be the Sower Sowing the Seed.

2. Club Ethos

The overriding principle governing the club is that

The Player Comes First

Activities and decisions in the Club will be based on the needs of the sporting and educational development of players and their physical and mental health, regardless of age, gender or race.

The main objective of the club is the development of young people through the medium of football.

1. The development of young people as footballers will provide them with principles of exercise, application and discipline that should stand them in good stead in other aspects of their lives and imbue in them the principles of a continuous healthy lifestyle.
2. Once a player has been accepted as a playing member of the club, the club will endeavour to provide coaching and playing opportunities suitable to their abilities.

• No player will be asked to leave the club due to their economic circumstances.

Secondary objectives of the club are:

1. to provide life-time community involvement for members of the club as coaches and administrators;
2. to be involved with the local community as a centre for sporting and social activities.

All members of the Club are required to show respect for everyone in the Club or visiting the Club and for all property and facilities in the Club.

The Club and its members are committed to conducting its activities in a sporting, dignified and responsible manner and the Club requires that all its member conduct themselves with integrity, transparency and accountability.

3. Activities

The activities of the club shall be the playing of (Association) football at underage, youth and adult levels for both male and female players.

4. Affiliation

   1. The Club shall have the status of an affiliated member Club of the Football Association of Ireland.
   2. Home Farm will comply with the rules of all leagues of which it is a member and in which its teams participate and also with the rules of the Leinster Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland.

5. Membership

The Club shall have the following category of members:

1. Full Members: Full members can be either life members or ordinary members.
   1. Life Members shall be those elected at an Annual General Meeting. Life Members shall be proposed by the Management Committee. Persons eligible for life membership shall be those deemed to have provided outstanding service to the club.    Life Members shall not be asked to pay an annual subscription.  The list of Life Members as at 31^st May 2021 is attached as appendix 1 to this constitution.  Life Members shall be  entitled to attend and vote at general meetings.
   2. Ordinary Members shall be those elected at an AGM. They shall continue to be Ordinary Members on payment of the annual membership subscription unless they have been removed as members as per the disciplinary code of the Club as set out by the Management Committee pursuant to rule 8.I.  The list of Ordinary Members as at 31^st May 2021 is attached as Appendix 2 to these rules.
   3. All full members, having being a member for three or more consecutive years, shall be eligible to be nominated for election to the Club’s Management Committee. All full members have the right to attend and vote at all general meetings of the Club.
   4. New Ordinary Members must be proposed and seconded by existing Ordinary Members or Life Members. The names of proposed new Ordinary Members together with the names of their proposer and seconder must be communicated in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least 15 days prior to the date of the AGM.  The Honorary Secretary will post the list of proposed new members on the official club notice board at least one week before the date of the AGM.
   5. The subscription fee for ordinary members shall cover the period from 1^st July to 30^th June annually. The subscription for ordinary members shall be proposed by the Management Committee and approved by the members at the annual general meeting. This subscription fee must be paid by 30^th September each year for a member to be entitled to continue as a member and attend and vote at general meetings.  A member whose subscription fee remains outstanding for more than three months from the date on which it was due and who has been given one month’s notice in writing (either to their registered postal or email address) shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club.  Such person can subsequently be proposed for membership as per Article 4.1.C above.
   6. Members of the Club shall comply with all the rules, regulations, directives and policies of the club and also with decisions of the Management Committee. Any member who resigns or is expelled as a member of the Club shall forfeit all claims to the property of the club.
   7. The first item on the agenda of the AGM shall be the proposal and ratification of new Life and Ordinary Members. To be ratified as a Life Member or Ordinary Member, the proposal for membership must be approved by at least 2/3rds of the members present and voting at the AGM. New Life and Ordinary Members shall be entitled to attend but not vote at the AGM at which their nomination as members was ratified.
2. The Honorary Secretary shall maintain a register of Life Members and Ordinary Members.  This register will include the postal address and email address of the member as provided to the Honorary Secretary by the member. It is the responsibility of the member to ensure that their postal and email addresses registered with the Honorary Secretary are correct.
3. All official communication between the Club and its members shall be to and from the Honorary Secretary of the Club. Official communication from the Club to members shall be either written to the recorded postal address or electronic to the recorded email address of the member. Official communication to the Club shall be either to the postal address of the Club or the official email address of the Club.
4. Any person receiving remuneration, in any form, from the Club for services provided to the Club, is not entitled to membership of the Club.
5. Honorary Members: Honorary Members shall be the Club President, Vice-Presidents and other persons who shall be elected at the AGM for a period of one-year. The Management Committee shall propose nominations for the above honorary positions.  The current list of Honorary Members as of 31^st May 2021 is attached as appendix 3 to this constitution.  To be approved as the Honorary President, an Honorary Vice-President or an Honorary Member, the proposal must be approved by at least 2/3rds of the members present and voting at the AGM.  Honorary Members will be entitled to attend the AGM as observers and contributors but shall not have a vote.

• Football Members: Football members shall consist of team managers, coaches and support personnel who voluntary contribute to the organisation and conducting of football activities in the Club and of other persons who voluntary provide services in the management of the Club. There will be no subscription for this category of members.  Such members shall not be allowed to attend or vote at general meetings. On completion of three years involvement in the club, such persons will be entitled to be nominated for ordinary membership of the Club as per Article 4.I.c above.

1. Social Members: Social Members shall consist of those who utilise the club facilities for social purposes. Social members are not entitled to either attend or vote at general meetings.  The subscription for social membership and the timing of its payment will be set at the first meeting of the Management Committee following each AGM.
2. Playing Members
   1. Schoolboy/Schoolgirl playing members are those who are registered to play for an underage or youth team in the club and who have paid the appropriate subscription. The subscriptions for schoolboy/schoolgirl playing membership and the timing of its payment will be set at the first meeting of the Management Committee following each AGM.
   2. Senior playing members are those who are registered to play for an adult team in the club and who have paid the appropriate subscription. The subscriptions for senior playing membership and the timing of its payment will be set at the first meeting of the Management Committee following each AGM.
   3. Playing members are not entitled to either attend or vote at general meetings.

6. Trustees

7. The club shall have a minimum of three and a maximum of five Trustees at any one time.
8. The Trustees shall be Life or Ordinary Members of the club and shall be nominated by the Management Committee and approved by the members in general meeting.

• The Trustees as at 31^st May 2021 are listed in Appendix 4.

1. The Trustees shall hold office until they decide to retire, are deceased, cease to be a member of the club or are removed by a resolution passed at an annual general meeting or special general meeting. Such a resolution shall require a 2/3rds majority of members present and voting to be successful.
2. The property of the club shall be vested in the Trustees, who will have signed an appropriate deed of trust.
3. The Trustees are the legal representation of the club and shall sign all legal documents on behalf of the club.
   1. The signatures of three Trustees shall be required on such financial and legal documents.

• The Trustees will deal with the property of the club as per resolution of the Management Committee or General Meeting. Such resolutions can include the power to purchase, sell, lease or mortgage the property of the Club.
• In so far as the assets of the club may be deficient, the Trustees of the club shall be indemnified by the members of the club against all liabilities and expenses incurred by them by reason of their position as Trustees.

1. The Trustees shall have supervisory responsibility for ensuring that the club is managed according to this constitution and that its finances are solvent.
   1. Three Trustees can call a special general meeting of the members if they believe that the club constitution is being breached or if they believe that club’s finances are insolvent.
2. On their removal or resignation, a Trustee shall execute a conveyance in such form as may be required by the Management Committee to a newly elected Trustee. On the death of a Trustee, any income, property or assets of the Club vested in him her or them shall vest automatically in the surviving Trustees.  If the number of Trustees declines to less than three, a special general meeting shall be convened as soon as possible to restore the number of Trustees to at least three.

7. Annual General Meeting

   1. The Life and Ordinary members of the club shall convene in general meeting prior to the 30^th June each year. In exceptional circumstances, the management committee may postpone the AGM by a period of 1 month (to no later than 31^st July). In exceptional circumstances, the Management Committee may convene the AGM virtually.
   2. The quorum for the AGM shall be 50% of the Life and Ordinary Members of the Club in attendance. If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the appointed time for start of the meeting, the meeting shall be deferred for not more than 21 days and notice of the new date and time of the meeting shall be communicated to members as per Article 5.II.c below. The quorum for the deferred meeting shall be the number of members present 15 minutes after the appointed start time.

• Fourteen days’ notice of the holding of the AGM shall be given to the Life, Ordinary and Honorary Members. Communications of the notice shall be electronic and to the registered email address of the member as provided to and recorded by the Honorary Secretary.

1. The agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be as follows
2. Welcome address by the Chairperson of the Club.
3. Minutes of the previous annual general meeting.
4. Election of Honorary Members
5. Proposals for and election of new life members of the Club
6. Proposals for and election of new ordinary members of the Club
7. Report of the Chairman on activities of the Club
8. Report of the Honorary Treasurer on the financial position of the Club
   1. Approval of the audited financial accounts of the Club
9. Rule changes (see Article 11)
   1. To be ratified, rule changes must be approved by 2/3rds of the members present and voting.
10. Election of trustees, honorary officers and members of the Management Committee of the Club
    1. Trustees (if a vacancy has arisen)
    2. Chairperson (if the term of the current Chairperson has expired or a vacancy has arisen)

• The Vice Chairperson (if the term of the current Vice-Chairperson has expired or a vacancy has arisen)

1. Honorary Secretary (if the term of the current Honorary Secretary has expired or a vacancy has arisen)
2. Honorary Treasurer (if the term of the current Chairperson has expired or a vacancy has arisen)
3. Six members of the Management Committee

1. Appointment of Auditors
2. Fixing of membership subscription for the current year.
3. Any motion from members, of which the requisite notice has been given to the Honorary Secretary, at least 14 days prior to the date of the AGM.
4. Closing of meeting by the Chairperson.

1. The election procedures shall be as follows:
   1. A simple majority of life and ordinary members present and voting at the AGM shall be sufficient to elect the Officers and Members of the Management Committee.
   2. To be eligible for nomination for a position as an Honorary Officer or as a member of the Management Committee, the candidate must be a Life or Ordinary Member of the Club for a continuous period of three years prior to the AGM.
   3. The Honorary Officers, on election, shall serve a term of two years. They shall be entitled to seek re-election for a further two term of two years each.
   4. Previous Honorary Officers of the Club shall be entitled to seek to be elected to Honorary Officer positions after a gap of 2 years from last holding such office.
   5. A person may serve five years consecutively as an ordinary member of the Management Committee, but then is not eligible for re-election until a gap of two years has been completed. In the case of Honorary Officers, the maximum time on the Management Committee is eleven years (five years as an ordinary member and six years as an Officer) before they are required to stand down for a period of two years.
   6. All candidates for any the position of an Officer or member of the Management Committee must be proposed and seconded by Life or Ordinary Members of the Club. Such nominations shall be in writing to the Honorary Secretary, seven days prior to the date of the AGM. The Honorary Secretary will post such nominations on the official Club notice board five days prior to the date of the AGM.
   7. For election of Officers, a simple majority of the votes of the members present and voting at the AGM is required. If there are more than two candidates and a simple majority is not obtained in the first ballot, the lowest ranked candidate shall be eliminated, and a second vote shall be held involving the remaining candidates.  This procedure shall be repeated until one candidate has obtained a majority of votes.
   8. For election of members of the Management Committee, each member present at the AGM shall be entitled to vote for each of the six management committee positions (vote for six candidates) and the six persons with most votes shall be deemed elected to the management committee for a period of one year until the subsequent AGM.
2. At least two members of the Management Committee shall be female. These can be either officers of the club, elected members of the Management Committee or co-opted members of the Management Committee (see Article 4.c.III below).

8. Special General Meetings

9. A Special General Meeting of the Club can be called by
   1. The Management Committee
   2. At the request of 20 life or Ordinary members of the club, in writing to the Honorary Secretary of the Club stating the purpose/resolution for which the meeting is to be convened or
   3. At the request of three trustees in writing to the Honorary Secretary stating the purpose/resolution for which the meeting is to be convened.
10. The Honorary Secretary shall convene the special general meeting within one month of receipt of the request for the meeting to be convened. Fourteen days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to the life, ordinary and honorary members. Communications of the notice shall be electronic and to the registered email address of the member as provided to and recorded by the Honorary Secretary. The notice will contain the resolution for which the meeting is convened.
    • The agenda of the Special General Meeting shall be confined to the specific resolution for which the meeting is convened.

1. Any resolution to be ratified at a Special General Meeting requires a 2/3rds majority of members present and voting.
2. The quorum for a Special General Meeting shall be 50% of the Life and Ordinary members of the Club in attendance.

9. Club Management

10. The management of the club shall be the responsibility of the Management Committee as elected at Annual General Meeting as per Article 4.I.d.viii above.
11. The Management Committee shall be entitled, during its term of office, to make all decisions for the Club except those reserved for General Meetings or the Trustees.

• The Management Committee shall be entitled to co-opt two addition members to the Management Committee to serve until the subsequent AGM.

1. The Management Committee shall meet a minimum of once a month. The Chairman may convene additional meetings of the Management Committee if he deems it appropriate.
2. The quorum for meetings of the Management Committee shall be six members of the committee in attendance.
3. The Management Committee shall set out rules of procedure for its operation.

• The Chairperson or, in his absence, the Vice Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Management Committee.
  1. In the absence of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, the members in attendance shall appoint a member of the committee to chair that meeting.
• If a vote is taken on an agenda item at the Management Committee, each member of the Committee shall have one vote. The Chairperson shall have a deliberative vote and, in the case of a tie in votes, a casting vote.

1. The Management Committee will record all decisions taken in the minute book of the club, which can be either written or electronic. The Management Committee may appoint a non-voting recording secretary to record the minutes of Management Meetings.  The Honorary Secretary shall have responsibility for the accuracy of the minutes.
2. The Management Committee shall appoint such sub-committees, project groups, other bodies or individuals to assist it in the management of the Club in different areas. The Management Committee shall approve the terms of reference, roles and responsibilities, rules of procedure, reporting requirements and the duration of such bodies.  The Officers of the Club shall be ex-officio members of all such bodies and have the right to attend and vote at all meetings of such bodies.
3. If a member of the management committee is absent from three consecutive meetings, the Management Committee, may in the absence of a satisfactory explanation, declare their seat vacant and co-opt a replacement member to serve until the subsequent AGM. If a member of the Management Committee retires from that position between AGMs, the Management Committee may co-opt a person to fill that vacancy and to serve until the subsequent AGM.

• At each monthly meeting of the Management Committee, the agenda shall include the following items:
  1. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting
  2. Review of Progress on previous Management Committee decisions
  3. Football reports from the Director of Coaching and the Senior, Schoolboys’ and Women’s sections
  4. Facilities
  5. Finance
  6. Bar
  7. Marketing and Communications
  8. Other Agenda items

• If a member of the Management Committee wishes to have any matter raised as an agenda item at a Management Committee meeting, he shall communicate that matter to the Club Chairman, three days prior to the meeting.
• A member of the Club has the right to raise issues, make representations to or make complaints to the Management Committee. This shall be done by way of official communication to the Honorary Secretary of the Club, who shall raise the issue, provided seven-days’ notice has been given,  at the subsequent meeting of the Management Committee.

1. The Club Chairman shall provide the agenda for each Management Committee meeting to its members two days prior to the meeting.

• In so far as the assets of the club may be deficient, the members of the Management Committee of the club shall be indemnified by the members of the club against all liabilities and expenses incurred by them by reason of their position as members of the Management Committee.
• If the Management Committee believe that the financial position of the club is such that the liquid assets available to the Club are insufficient to meet the club’s liabilities, the Management Committee shall convene a Special General Meeting of the life and ordinary members to consider the Club’s financial position.
• The Management Committee shall have the power to put such reasonable construction on this constitution and to make or alter bye-laws and/or local rules that shall be binding on all categories of members, unless annulled at an annual or special general meeting. Bye laws or local rules in force shall be posted on the club notice board and this shall be deemed to be sufficient notification to members.
• The Club shall maintain in force liability insurance for the officers of the Club and the members of the Management Committee and general liability insurance from recognised insurers with policy limits appropriate to the scale of its operations.

1. To the greatest extent permitted by law, no Officer of the Club or member of the Management Committee shall in any way be liable to the Club or to any member for any loss, damage or misfortune, which may happen to or be incurred by the Club or any member (howsoever caused) arising from the execution of the duties of his or her office (whether negligently or otherwise).

• The Management Committee shall have the power to deal with any breach or offence under this constitution or under any bye laws or local rules in force in the club and with any breach of the club’s disciplinary code. This shall include the right to expel members.
  1. A member (of any category) who has been disciplined or expelled by the Management Committee has the right to appeal that decision to the Appeals Panel established as per the disciplinary code and to an annual or special general meeting.

10. Club Finances

11. The financial year of the Club shall be from 1^st July to 30^th June.
12. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the keeping of the books of the Club.
    1. The Honorary Treasurer will be responsible for recording all income and expenditure of the Club.

• The Honorary Treasurer shall draw up an annual budget for the activities of the Club.

1. The Honorary Treasurer shall report monthly to the Management Committee on the financial position of the club, including income, expenditure and the outstanding debtors and creditors and their due timing.
2. Bank accounts will be held in the name of the Club. The Club Treasurer shall control these accounts and shall have the authority to make funds transfers either by cheque or electronic funds transfer up to the amount of €5,000.  Amounts in excess of this shall require prior authorisation of the expenditure from the Management Committee.
3. The Management Committee shall approve procedures for the financial management of the Club.

• The Honorary Treasurer shall liaise with the appointed auditor to ensure that the clubs finances are audited by 30^th September each year.
• The Club may only borrow money with the approval of the members in general meeting, with an exception in the amount of €10,000, which may be borrowed, by decision of the Management Committee, for a maximum term of I year for cash flow purposes. (This constitution recognises the existing loan agreement with AIB for the period to 2026.)

1. The Treasurer may reimburse to members of the club out of pocket expenses, duly receipted, incurred in the performance of activities for the club.
2. The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards the objectives of the Club as set out in article 2 of this constitution. No portion of the Club’s income or assets shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to members of the Club.

11. Rule Changes

12. Rule Changes may only be approved by life and ordinary members at the annual general meeting or at special general meetings convened for the purpose of adopting new rules or amending specific existing rules.
13. For rule changes to be approved, a 2/3rds majority of members present and voting at general meetings is required.

• Rule changes can be proposed by
  1. The Management Committee
  2. Twenty members communicating proposed rule changes in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
  3. Three trustees communicating proposed rule changes in writing to the Honorary Secretary.

1. The proposed rules changes shall be considered by the members at the subsequent AGM if the proposals are communicated to the Honorary Secretary after 1^st March in any year. If the proposals are communicated at another period, the Honorary Secretary shall convene a special general meeting within 1 month to consider the proposed rule changes.

12. Data Protection Act

13. Pursuant to the Data Protection Act 1988-2003, members consent to the Club obtaining, recording, holding and retaining their personal data solely for Club purposes, either electronically or in its hard copy filing system and consent to the use of all such data, including disclosure to third parties for the purpose of effective management of the Club.

13. Dissolution

    1. A resolution to dissolve the Club shall be carried by at least 75% of the member at a special general meeting convened as per rule to consider should a resolution. The quorum for such a meeting shall be at least 2/3rds of members in attendance.
    2. If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club, there remains, after satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Club. Instead, such property shall be given or transferred to some other institution of institutions having main objectives similar to the main objectives of the Club.
       13. The institution or institutions to which the property is to be given or transferred shall have an article in their constitution similar to Article 2 of this constitution and article 13.II above.
       14. Members of the Club shall select the relevant institution or institutions at or before the time of dissolution.

• If and so far as effect cannot be given to the provisions under this Article, then the property shall be given or transferred to some charitable objective selected by the members.

1. Final accounts will be prepared and submitted that include a section that identifies and values any assets transferred, along with the details of the recipient(s) and the terms of the transfer(s).

14. Other

15. The management committee shall develop, adopt and supervise implementation of the following club policies, which shall be appended to and form part of this constitution:
16. Disciplinary Code
17. Child Protection Code

15. Licensing Rules

    1. A visitor shall not be supplied with excisable liquor on the club premises unless on the invitation and in the company of a member and that the member shall upon admission of such visitor to the club premises or immediately with him being supplied with such liquor, enter his own name and the name and address of the visitor into a book, which shall be kept for that purpose and shall show the date of each visit.
    2. No excisable liquor shall be sold or supplied for consumption outside the premises of the club except to members of the club between the hours of eight o’clock in the morning and ten o’clock at night.

• No person shall be allowed to become honorary or temporary members of the club or be relieved of the payment of the regular entrance fee or subscription, except those possessing certain qualifications defined in the rules and subject to conditions and regulations described therein.

1. No excisable liquor shall be sold or supplied to any person under 18 years of age.
2. Subject to exceptions specified in section II above of this rule, no excisable liquor shall be supplied for the consumption on the club premises to any person (other than a member of the club lodging in the club premises) or be consumed on the club premises by any other person (other than a member of the club lodging in the club premises):
   10. On weekdays, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before the hour of 10.30am and after the hour of 11.30pm, also on weekdays, Friday and Saturday, before the hour of 10.30am and after the hour of 00.30am or on St. Patrick’s Day or any Sunday before the hour of 12.30 in the afternoon or after the hour of 11.00 in the evening or any time on Christmas Day.

Appendix 1:                       Life Members

1. Ahern Bertiie
2. Lyons Johnny

Appendix 2:                       Ordinary Members

Appendix 3                         Honorary Members

1. Tony O’Reilly (Honorary President)

Appendix 4                         Trustees

1. Barnes Mark
2. Gartlan Brian
3. Menton Brendan
4. Seery Aidan