Title: Tuarascail FoChoiste Ballraiochta
1TuarascailFo-Choiste Ballraiochta
- Report Of Membership
- Sub-Committee
- Approved by Congress
- 30th October 2004
2- Membership Procedures
- Categories of Membership
- Membership Criteria
- Membership Rules in Official Guide
- Redraft Club Constitution in simple form
- Rights and Privileges pertaining to Membership
- Identify possible omissions in existing Rules,
Regulations and Procedures, with a view to
eliminating different interpretations - Judgements made in Law in relation to Membership,
with a view to steps being taken to avoid, if
possible, future litigation .
3CHANGES
- 1. Rules 6 and 7 O.G. - Units/Jurisdiction
- That the contents of these two Rules be
incorporated into one Rule, with the content of
existing Rule 7 being amended to state that all
members and units shall be subject to the
jurisdiction of the Associations Rules and Bye
Laws in all matters that may arise. - Reason -
- Streamlining and an emphasis that
jurisdiction involves the application of the
Associations Rules and Bye Laws in all matters
and at all times. -
4Changes/ Cont.
- (2) Rule 18 O.G. - Membership
- This Rule is redrafted and incorporates two
important new provisions- - (i) Once granted, membership of the
Association shall continue for life, - unless the member resigns in writing, or is
expelled in accordance with the Official Guide. - Reason
- To prevent a member from claiming in Law that
he had ceased to be a member of the Club or of
the Association on the non payment of any annual
Membership Fee
5(2) Rule 18 O.G. - Membership
- (ii) The rights of a member of the
Association shall be conditional upon the member
complying with the Rules and Regulations of the
Association /Club, including payment of any
Annual Membership Fee. Such rights maybe
withheld, restricted, or suspended in accordance
with the Rules of the Association and Club. - Subject to the foregoing, only
Registered Full Members shall be entitled to vote
at - Meetings, including General Meetings.
- Reason
- To legislate for the withholding/restric
tion/suspension of rights of Members. -
-
6(3) Rule 19 O.G. Registration of Members
- That this Rule be states the following important
provisions- - Every member shall be allocated a Registration
Number by Central Committee. - A person becomes a member of the Association when
he is approved as a Member by a Club. - A Club shall register its Youth Members with the
County Committee, giving the Members full name,
address and date of birth. - Amendments to the lists of Full Members and Youth
Members shall be made annually, providing
additions or deletions from the list of the
previous year. - Reason -
- To provide more comprehensive and tighter
regulations governing the Registration of Full
Members and Youth Members -
-
7(4)Electronic Registration of Membership
- It is a requirement that there be Electronic
Registration of Membership (This is already being
put in place with over 100,000 electronically
registered). - Reason
- Utilisation of a modern system of Communication
and various potential commercial benefits. -
8(5) Rule 26 O.G. Club Constitution
- This Rule is abbreviated and rephrased.
- The Constitution itself is redrafted with it
being compliant with the Licensing Legislation. - The Constitution must be adopted by all clubs.
- Club Byelaws must be agreed by County Committee.
9(6) Rule 27 O.G. Registration of Players
- As follows-
- (i) That this Rule was amended with the following
change. - There shall be annual
Registration of the Clubs Adult, Under 21 and
Minor Players. - The Players Name, Address and
Registration Number shall be given in all cases,
and in the case of an Under 21 and Minor Player,
his Date and Place of Birth. A player need only
be included in one of the three Registers
Adult, Under 21 or Minor- , appropriate to his
age. - Reasons
- (1) The County Committees (or Divisional
Committees as appropriate) must be in a position
to know what members are registered as
players as distinct from non playing members.
In the interest of proper records it is proposed
that this Registration be done annually. (It
should be noted that the requirement to register
Members annually is being discontinued - only
additions or deletions need be submitted. - (2) Registration Numbers must be included for
Identification Purposes, and to - emphasise that all Players must be
Registered Full Members or Youth Members of the
Association.
10(7) Rule 30 Winding up a Club
- A clause was added to this Rule providing that a
decision to Wind Up a Club shall be subject to
the approval of the County Committee. - Reason
- To ensure that any such decision is based on
necessity, and not to increase strength by
amalgamation.
11(9) Rule 31 Definitions
- (A) That the terms Home County and Home Club
(as contained in current Sections (b)) was
redefined to provide that - (i) First legal participation shall be Club
Competition (Under 12 Grade or over) organised by
a County Committee or one of its Sub-Committees. - (ii) That participation is at an age not more
than two years younger than the designated age
level of the Competition. - Reasons
- To have a more definite and standard definition
of first legal participation. - To attach players to Clubs at a younger age level
(12 rather than 16 years) provided that a player
is not more than two years younger than the age
limit of the Competition. -
12(9) Rule 31 Definitions (Cont.)
- (B) That Definitions of Home Club are as follows
- (i) Internal use within a County, such as for
Internal Transfer purpose and - (ii) External use, such as for Declaration for
Home Club, be separated, with current Section
(b), with proposed amendments, applying
Internally, and all Sections applying Externally.
- The Sections of the Rule to apply Externally to
be in a revised order with current (a), (b), (c)
and (d) becoming (c), (a) with proposed
amendments, (b) and (d) respectively.
13(9) Rule 31 Definitions (Cont.)
- Reasons
- The original Rule was enacted for External
Purposes i.e. Declaration for Home Club. - There should be provision within County Bye Laws
for a player within a County to transfer back
to his Home Club with which he had first legal
participation in Competition organised by the
County Committee or one of its Sub Committees
(subject to that participation being at an age
not more than two years younger than the
designated age level of the Competition). However
this should be the only Definition of Home Club
for Internal Purposes. - (iii) The revised order of setting out the
Definitions of Home Club for External Purposes is
in order of considered importance.
14(10) New Rule (included Playing Eligibility,
prior to Rule 31)
- (a) The Rule to state that a player must be a
registered Full Member or Youth Member. - (b) A player may not be a member of a Club for
which he is ineligible to play. - Reasons
- To provide that all players are Members of the
Association and governed by its Rules, and to
protect the Association in possible litigation
matters - (b) above arises from a legal case, and the
purpose of the provision is to safeguard against
a similar situation arising in the future. -
15(12)Rule 32(b) (c) Rule 58(d) - Re
Minor/Under 21 Teams -
- It is was decided as follows-
- (i) That in Rule 32(b) the words Group
Minor/Under 21 team be changed to Independent
Minor/Under 21 team. - Reason
- To emphasise that playing with such teams does
not attach a player to a particular Parent Club. - (ii) That reference to County Bye Laws
be deleted from Rule 32(b). - Reason
- It conflicts with Rule 58(d) - Powers of a County
Committee. - (iii) That Rule 32(c) be deleted.
- Reason
- Congress has previously decided that a Minor Unit
is not a Club per se. - (iv) That Rule 58(d) be amended in its
final line by the words separate Group team
being replaced by an Independent Minor Team. - Reason
- As in (i) above.
16(13) Transfers and Declarations Associations
Ethos
- It was decided that a new Rule be included at the
beginning of the Section governing Transfers and
Declarations, as a Preamble to these Rules,
setting out the Associations ethos in these
matters. - Reason
- In the light of legal challenges in the Courts to
the Transfer Rules in particular, it is important
to set out in Rule the Associations ethos in
these matters. -
17(16) Rule 38 O.G.- Transfers General -
- That two additional Sections be added to this
Rule to provide for- - Procedures and time limits for the granting of
Inter County Transfers. - Provision that a player who transfers from one
County to another, and subsequently, within two
years, transfers back to the former County, shall
rejoin the Club of which he was a member prior to
the initial transfer. - Reasons
- To set out in Rule procedures and time limits for
the granting of Inter County Transfers. - To stop an abuse whereby players use the Inter
County Transfer Rule for the purpose of
subsequently transferring from one Club to
another within a County - a transfer which
players may not otherwise be entitled to. -
-
18(17) Rule 43
- Provision was made in Rule to have all
Properties owned by county committees, Provincial
Councils and Central Councils vested in Trustees. - Reasons
- For proper legal control of Association
Property.
19Rule 91 O.G. - Elective Office -
- This Rule was amended to provide that Elective
Offices are confined to Full Members who have
paid their current Club Membership Fee in
accordance with Rule 6.2 of the Club
Constitution. - Reason
- To ensure that Elective Offices are confined to
paid up Full Members of the Association. -
20Borrowings Charges
- Clubs must have the appropriate permission to
borrow money or initiate charges They are - Club up to 10,000 on their own approval
- Up to 75,000 on County Committee approval
- Up to 150,000 on Provincial Council approval
- All amounts over 150,000 need the approval of
Central Council - Charges in respect of Loans and Government
Grants, including lottery, lottery need up to
date Declarations of Trust and the approval of
the Central Council
21(21) Rule 92 O.G. - Quorum
- This Rule shall not apply to a Club General
Meeting - Reason
- It would be too onerous.
-
22(22) Rules 94 and 11(e) O.G. Correspondence/Offici
al Documents
- That reference to Under 15 be changed to Under
16. - Reason
- In the interests of consistency throughout the
Rules
23(23) Rule 149
- The Register of all Players, not just Underage,
be available for inspection to the Secretaries of
any Unit, on demand in writing. - Reason
- In the interests of transparency and the
availability of such records.
24(24) Arbitration Tribunal System
- The introduction of an Arbitration Tribunal
System is in place. This to be additional to
the Appeals System, as provided for in the
Rules. It is to permit further adjudication on
matters of a serious nature/dispute. - Reason
- To reduce the number of instances of
Members/Units seeking redress through the Law
Courts. - (Rule involved introduced at Congress 2005)
25(25) Club Constitution
- That a new Constitution, as provided, was
approved by Congress, and the relevant
Constitution is required to be adopted by all
Clubs. It establishes the rights of our Members. - Reason
- The new Constitution is to conform with the Rule
changes in the Membership Report, to include
necessary Additions and Amendments to the Rules
of the Constitution, and to provide an easier to
read format. - (Club Constitution has been provided)