We’re planning on having our AGM on Thursday 26th Sept at 1930 in the Ozone. If you’re interested in helping out with any of the club admin, fancy running for a position or would like to vote then come along.

There is nominations/proposals sheet for the AGM – here. Any member can propose/second anyone for a position or any other motion by emailing the club up to 7 days before AGM. The current constitution is here, section 7/8 are the relevant bits.

Apart from voting there is also a planned update to our constitution. For more detail see below from Rónán.

“As you have probably heard, the club has been given stewardship of a cottage in the Mournes by Dr Henry McKee. As part of the arrangement with Henry, he will maintain ownership of the cottage but will give us essentially full control. He has invested quite a lot of money to bring it up to a good standard to hand it over to us and we’ve been working hard to, helping with painting etc.

As part of the legal arrangements with Henry, the club will take responsibility for rates on the cottage. This could be quite expensive, but we have the option of constituting the club as a charity dedicated to furthering amateur sport. This would allow us to claim exemption from rates on the cottage, and help enshrine a good ethos in the club.

In order to do this, we need to make some amendments to the constitution, the gist of which is nominating trustees who have ultimate responsibility for the operation of the club, and spelling out the aims and purposes of the club as a charity. In practical terms, very little would change as the club already fulfils essentially all of the requirements of a charity. We would have to register with the NI Charity Commission but this is unlikely to be necessary straight away as they have a long backlog – but in the meantime we can still claim rates exemption etc.

The proposed constitution is here, with all changes highlighted.  I’m (Rónán) happy to discuss this with anyone who has questions before/at the AGM.”

Agenda for AGM

·         Welcome

·         President’s report

·         Treasurer’s report

·         MI fees increase

·         Trips

·         Cottage

·         Proposed changes to constitution/charity status

·         Elections

·         AOB

Let us know in advance if you’re coming just so we can have an idea of numbers (otherwise there might not be enough biscuits).