Badminton Ireland Bye-Laws

Badminton Union of Ireland Limited 

Bye-Laws 

General

  • 1. Badminton Union of Ireland Ltd. shall trade under the name of "Badminton Ireland". All reference in these Bye-Laws to "Badminton Ireland" or "BI" shall be taken to mean "Badminton Union of Ireland Ltd"
  • 2. These Bye-laws may be altered or amended by the Board of Directors without recourse to a General Meeting provided they do not contravene the Memorandum or Articles of the Company, or do not infringe Company or other Law.
  • 3. Unlike an ordinary limited company, The Badminton Union of Ireland Ltd has no share capital. Instead it has members, who like shareholders in large limited companies can apply to join and leave as they wish.
  • 4. Club Affiliation - All Clubs must affiliate to Badminton Ireland and to the appropriate Branch. Failure to do so would make them ineligible to compete in competitions.
  • 5. Each club shall conform to the bye-laws and regulations of Badminton Ireland.
  • 6. Each club shall agree to permit Badminton Ireland to have access to the club financial records and register of members to ascertain the figures from the records held by the particular club.

Membership

  • 1. All applicants for membership (including associate) shall be required to complete the application form for membership provided by the Board in such form as the Board shall from time to time determine. In signing the application form whether for a new application or a renewal, the official of the Club so signing agrees that all members, coaches and officials shall be deemed to be and be in fact bound by the Memorandum and Articles of the Union as well as these Bye-laws and in particular the General Complaints Management procedures of the Organisation, Codes of Conduct or Ethics, Irish Anti-Doping Bye-laws and the other disciplinary bye-laws hereinafter set out. It shall be open to the Board in relation to any new application for membership to obtain any relevant information in support of such an application as they may deem necessary before admitting the applicant to membership.
  • 2. In all cases the decision of the Board on applications for membership, renewal of membership and decisions on whether or not applications should be accepted is the sole responsibility of the Board and in the event that any application is refused the Board shall not be under obligation to assign any reason for such refusal.
  • 3. Only individuals affiliated to Badminton Ireland may be involved in any aspect of the sport that comes under the jurisdiction of the Badminton Ireland or its constituent Branches, County Associations, Leagues, Clubs or any other duly recognised body of the Union which involves the participation in any activity or membership of any tournament, event, committee, sub-committee or group.

Meetings

STANDING ORDERS AT MEETINGS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • 1. The Chairperson shall have power to rule on any question arising under standing orders.
  • 2. Professional staff may attend meetings at the discretion of the Board.
  • 3. Membership of the Board
  • The members shall be as specified in the Articles of Association.

Board appointed directors shall require 75% support of the Board Members present for their appointment, the term of which shall last for 1 year after which they may be reappointed.

In the event of a Branch Nominated Director not being able to attend a meeting of the Board, the Branch represented shall be entitled to appoint a substitute who is not a member of the Board provided such member is registered with the Companies Office as a substitute Director and that notice in writing is given to the Company Secretary before the meeting. The attendance of a substitute Director at a second consecutive meetings of the Board must have the approval of the other Board Members and will only be allowed in exceptional cases.

Committees and Sub-Committees

  • 1 The Board of Directors shall have the power to constitute committees/sub-committees and to appoint/reappoint individuals to these committees. The Board shall have the power to determine not only their constitution but the remit and the manner in which the committees regulate their meetings and also provide specific duties to be implemented by each such committees or sub-committees. Minutes of each committees or sub-committees matters should be circulated to the members of the committees or sub-committees as soon as practicable.
  • 2 The President, Finance Director, Company Secretary and Chairperson shall have the right to attend any committee where their attendance is not already specified but will not have voting rights.
  • 3 The chair of all other standing committee's and the composition of each Committee shall be determined by that Committee's terms of reference.
  • 4 The Management Committee shall have the absolute discretion to call a meeting of any committees or sub-committees. Co-option to any Committee must be sanctioned by parent committee.
  • 5 The agenda for every meeting shall be circulated to each member at least seven days before the date of the Committee meeting. The Chair shall be responsible for appointing a Minute Secretary from within the Committee.
  • 6 Committees may appoint sub-Committees as they deem desirable, the composition of that sub-Committee will be entirely at the discretion of the Committee.
  • 7 All Sub-Committees and Standing Committee Chairpersons shall normally be reconstituted at the first meeting of committees following the Annual General Meeting and shall remain in force until the Committee is reconstituted following the next AGM or by a decision of the Board.
  • 8 Decisions of all committee's except the Ethics committee's may be referred back to the committee for reconsideration with a final appeal to the immediate parent committee.

Standing Committees

  • 1 Management Committee
  • a. Composition
  • The Management Committee shall consist of the Badminton Ireland Chairperson, and up to four other members appointed by the Board. Professional staff may attend meetings at the discretion of the Committee. The Management Committee may regulate their meetings as they see fit provided at least four meetings shall be held in each year. Each member at a meeting shall have one vote on any resolution or amendment before the meeting and voting shall be by a show of hands except that a ballot may be held if requested. The Chair shall have a casting vote as well as a deliberative vote. A copy of the minutes of every Management Meeting shall be circulated to each Management Committee member as soon as practicable. The proceedings of the Management Committee shall be private and confidential except that decisions and minutes will be promulgated. The Badminton Ireland Chairman shall act as chair or in his absence the members shall appoint one of the other Members to temporarily act in this capacity. The quorum for the Management Committee shall be three.
  • Duties
  • The business of the Union shall be managed on a day to day basis by the Management Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Management Committee shall be presented with reports of the various Committees that are set up and can approve, amend, defer, reject or refer back for further consideration any recommendation contained in them. The Management Committee shall be responsible for and have the power to deal with:-
  • 1. The Management Committee shall be required to approve all budgets submitted by the Finance Director before expenditure is incurred.
  • 2. The Management Committee shall approve sub-Committees comprising such members as it may determine from time to time and give the sub Committees specific functions not covered by other Committees.
  • 3. It shall also have the power to deal with any other matters outside the scope of other appointed Committees.

The Management Committee shall report to the Board of Badminton Ireland. It shall meet as often as is deemed necessary by the Chairperson.

  • 2. Finance Committee -

Composition:

The BUI Finance Committee shall comprise of the Finance Director and up to two other members

The terms of reference for the Finance Committee are:

1.   To review, prior to submission to the Board the proposed annual budget of Badminton Ireland prepared by the professional staff, with a view to recommending the same to the Board or making proposed alterations thereto for consideration and approval by the Board

2.   To monitor and report to the Board annually on the adherence to the budget and financial plan for Badminton Ireland.

3.   To make recommendations on policies for funding of the game.

4.   To make recommendations on all financial policies for Badminton Ireland and its Standing Committees, Sub Committees regional and local groups. 

The Finance Director shall report to the Board of Badminton Ireland and to the Management Committee.

The Finance Committee shall meet quarterly or as deemed necessary by the Chairperson.

 

3.   Events Committee -

Composition:          Event Director and up to four other members.

 

The terms of reference for the Events Committee are:

 

1.   To make policy recommendations to the Board on the Rules and Regulations and Game

 

3.   To recommend policies to promote ways of making the game as safe as possible for players at all levels and age's, and to regularly review those agreed policies.

 

  • 4. To oversee and delegate as required the administration of national competitions. The standing committee may appoint a sub-group to advise the events Director and to deal with day to day administration of national competitions.

 

Regulations (including competitions) and to carry out a regular review of the agreed policies.

 

  • 5. To make recommendations on policies for Badminton Ireland competitions, and regularly review the effectiveness of the agreed policies. To plan and compile the yearly Calendar of events.

 

  • 6. To give or refuse sanction to any event which is open to members of more than one club.

The Events Director shall report to the Board of Badminton Ireland and to the Management Committee.

The Events Committee shall meet quarterly or as deemed necessary by the Chairperson. 

 

4       Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee shall be comprised of the following sub-committee's

 

1          Complaints Management

The Board shall appoint a Complaints Management Chairperson and two other people to form the Complaints Management Committee who will be responsible for Child Protection complaints and General Complaints as defined in the Complaints Management procedures.

 

2          Appeals Panel

The Board shall appoint an appeals Manager and an appeals panel from which the appeals manager shall select 3 members to form an appeal committee when required. The committee shall select a chairperson and the duties of the committee shall be carried out as defined in the BI Complaints Management Procedures.

 

3          Anti-Doping

An Anti-Doping Officer appointed by the Board shall carry out their functions as defined in the BI Anti-Doping Policy.

Badminton Ireland condemns the use of prohibited substances or methods, a practice generally known as doping, in sport.  The bye-laws of Badminton Ireland regarding doping are the Irish Anti-Doping Bye-laws as adopted by the Irish Sports Council and which come into force on the 1st of June 2004, as amended from time to time.  The bye-laws contained in the said Irish Anti-Doping Bye-laws shall have effect and be construed as bye-laws of Badminton Ireland.

Other Committees

1    Sub-Committee's directly appointed by the Board

At least 1 member of the committee must be appointed by the Board and with all co-opted members requiring Board sanction before appointment. The sub-committee shall select its chair and shall report to the Board unless directed otherwise by the Board. The Board shall define the terms of reference and operating procedures for the Sub-committee.

2    Sub-Committee's of Standing or other Committee's

A standing or other committee may appoint a sub-committee provided at least 1 member of the sub-committee is appointed by the parent committee. Co-opted members shall require the parent committee sanction before appointment. The sub-committee shall select its chair and shall report back to the parent committee unless directed otherwise. The parent committee shall define the terms of reference and operating procedures for the Sub-committee. 

Colours

Past and present representatives of Ireland in international matches shall be entitled to wear the Badminton Ireland dress and colours as laid down by the Union from time to time.

Past and present officers of Ireland may wear the Badminton Ireland dress and colours as laid down by the Union from time to time.