Constitution of the Cherwell Cricket League as adopted by the member clubson Thursday 26th November 2020.
1. TITLE AND STATUS(a) The League shall be known as The Cherwell Cricket League (hereinafter called “The League”) andshall include, if required, reference to its sponsor(s).
(b) The League is a not-for-profit organisation which belongs to the member clubs.

2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of The League shall be to:(a) Organise cricket for member clubs on a competitive basis.
(b) Create and promote a structure for cricket that encourages maximum access and participation.
(c) Promote the highest possible standards of Cricket and playing facilities with due reference to thelevel and ability of the players.
(d) Ensure that play is conducted within the spirit and laws of the game of cricket and The League
competition rules.
(e) Ensure a duty of care to all member clubs and members regardless of race, gender, religion,disability and sexual orientation.

3. MEMBERSHIP(a) Those clubs who have in the past been elected to the membership of the league and are still
participating in the league structure.
(b) Those clubs who joined The League under the terms of the agreement between The Cherwell
League and the Oxford Cricket Association dated 20th November 2020.
(c) Additional clubs may be admitted to membership of the League by written application to theLeague Secretary no later than:(i) Seven days after the completion of the final match of the league in which they are
currently playing.
(ii) The 30th September of the year of application whichever is the sooner.
(d) Clubs affiliated to other Leagues must notify their intentions of joining The League to theiraffiliated organisation and must ensure that such applications are in accordance with, and do nottransgress, the constitutions of such organisations.

(e) All applications for membership of the league shall be considered by the ManagementCommittee. All Clubs which meet the criteria for membership, as laid out in the document ‘Criteria
for joining the Cherwell League’ may have their applications put forward to a vote at a General
Meeting (GM). The application must be proposed and seconded by two separate existing League
clubs and requires to be passed by a majority of over 66% of the available votes at a GM. Those
successful clubs (accepted at the GM) will be eligible to participate in The League competitions witheffect from the season following their acceptance. The same rules apply to clubs seeking re-election
to the League as a result of a breach of playing rule 3.4 (Failure to Fulfil Fixtures).
(f) Membership shall be continuous unless a club:(i) Terminates it in writing no later than 30th September of the year preceding the season ofwithdrawal.
(ii) Is expelled by a vote of the member clubs at either a General Meeting or a Special
General Meeting, where 50% or more of member clubs vote for expulsion.
(iii) Fails to meet its financial obligations to the League. Member Clubs will only be eligible toparticipate in the League’s fixtures or competitions if all monies owing to the league are paidby the last day of January of the year of said competitions. At the Management Committee’ssole discretion, and only in special circumstances, extensions may be granted.
(g) All Member Clubs will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and by joining the League
will be deemed to have accepted these rules and regulations and any Codes of Conduct that theLeague has adopted.
(h) All Member Clubs shall be affiliated to the ECB via their relevant County Cricket Board.
(i) The League takes seriously its responsibilities to all its Member Clubs and players, including thewelfare of young players. To this end, the League fully endorses, as maybe amended, the ECB Club
Inclusion & Diversity Policy and the ECB Safe Hands – Safeguarding Children and Child Protection
Policy. The League requires all Member Clubs to observe all such youth mandates, directives andguidance issued by the ECB and requires all Member Clubs and League Match Officials (Umpires,Scorers and Captains) to ensure that they are enforced.

4. OFFICERS AND MANAGEMENT(a) Management of The League shall be vested in The Management Committee, and made up of
three officers (Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary) and a maximum of twelve (12) members drawn
from affiliated clubs, all of whom shall be elected annually at the GM.
(b) The Management Committee will be responsible for implementing new policy, codes of conduct
and rules and regulations that affect the organisation of The League and managing the Leagueregarding all matters except changes to the constitution.
(c) The officers shall be responsible for preparing annual accounts in accordance with appropriate
current accounting practice and will submit them for an Independent Examination by a suitably
experienced accountant who will report on those accounts direct to the member clubs. The
reporting accountant shall be independent of the Executive Committee of The League and will beappointed by that committee using a similar basis to an independent examination of a charity as set
out in the Charities Act 2006.
(d) The Management Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees as necessary, toappoint advisers as necessary to fulfil its business and to co-opt additional members. Such co-optedmembers shall not have voting rights.
(e) No club shall be allowed more than two members of the Management Committee.
(f) A quorum of the Management committee will consist of 50% of elected officers and members.
Voting shall be on a basis of simple majority. All members of the Management Committee areentitled to a vote. In the event of a tie, the Chairman will have a second and casting vote.
(g) The Secretary of the League shall normally give members of the Management Committee twoweeks’ notice of a meeting.
(h) Meetings shall normally be monthly but should be no less than bi-monthly.

5. CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE(a) The League endorses and fully supports the principles outlined in documents issued by the MCC
and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) relating to the spirit of cricket and on matters ofconduct and discipline. The League requires that all players, club officials, spectators and persons
associated with the League or clubs in the League, maintain the highest standards of behaviour andsportsmanship. All offences that infringe The League’s Discipline Regulations will be dealt with using
the process outlined in the League Disciplinary Regulations. This applies equally to alleged offenceson or off the playing field.
(b) The Management Committee will be responsible for any disciplinary hearings for member clubs
or individuals who may have infringed the League’s rules, regulations or constitution. This
responsibility however will be vested in a Disciplinary Committee, the Chairman of which will beappointed by the Management Committee. The process for convening a Disciplinary Committee,
how it will proceed, how decisions will be communicated and rights of appeal where applicable aredetailed in the The Disciplinary Regulations.
(c) All complaints regarding breaches of The League rules and regulations should be submitted inwriting to the Umpires’ Secretary and copied to the League Secretary. Any suspected breaches of theconstitution should be addressed directly to the League Secretary.

6. GENERAL MEETING(a) The General Meeting (GM) of The League shall be held during November on a date determinedby the Management Committee. All clubs are required to send a representative to the GM and that
representative must have a mandate to represent the club. Failure to attend may result in the club
being fined and they will forfeit their right to vote on issues presented to the meeting. Voting by
proxy is not permitted. A quorum at the GM shall be 75% of the member clubs. The business
transacted at the GM shall be as follows:(i) To receive a general report from the Management Committee.

(ii) To receive details of and approve The League’s accounts for the year ending 31stOctober.
(iii) To agree the membership subscription for the coming year(iv) To elect officers and members of the Management Committee(v) To consider and decide upon Constitutional and Playing Rules Proposals properlysubmitted in accordance with clauses 6(b) and & 6(c).
(vi) To consider items of other business submitted in writing to the Secretary no later than
30th September and considered, by the Chairman, a suitable item for discussion at a GM(b) Constitutional proposals from authorised representatives of member clubs must be submitted to
the Secretary in writing no later than 30th September and supported by at least one quarter of themember clubs. The Secretary shall give written notice of any such proposals and any ManagementCommittee proposals together with an agenda showing all business to be transacted to all member
clubs no later than 5 weeks before the GM.
(c) Changes to Playing Rules, Disciplinary Regulations, or other rules or regulations regarding thegeneral running and maintenance of the League (hereafter referred to as Regulations) can be madein a number of ways:(i) The Management Committee is responsible for ensuring that the Regulations areconsistent throughout and compliant with the spirit and the laws of the game. To this end,
the Management Committee may, from time to time, effect such changes to the Regulations
as it deems necessary to achieve this, without recourse to membership. Such changes will bemade at least 28 days before the commencement of the season or by giving 28 days written
notice to the member clubs.
(ii) Substantive changes to the Regulations will be proposed by the Management Committee
for the member clubs’ approval. If a simple majority of voting clubs at the GM rejects theproposed changes, the Management Committee will review and re-present them before
implementing.
(iii) Changes to the Regulations can also be proposed by authorised representatives ofmember clubs and must be submitted to the Secretary in writing no later than 30th
September and supported by at least one quarter of the member clubs. Proposals so
submitted can be passed at the GM by a simple majority of voting clubs.
(d) All proposed changes to the playing rules for the coming season will be supplied to all member
clubs no later than 5 weeks before the GM.
(e) Voting at the GM shall be on the basis of two votes for each member club with two or moreteams in the League and a single vote for each member club with one team in the League inattendance at the meeting. A club not represented at the meeting will have forfeited the right tovote. Clubs who abstain will be considered as having not voted.
(i) Constitutional Proposals shall only be carried if they are supported by a majority ofgreater than 66% of the available votes cast. Abstentions will not count as votes cast.
(ii) Playing Rules proposals shall be decided on a simple majority of the available votes cast.
Abstentions will not count as votes cast.

(f) Nominations for Officers and Executive Members shall be submitted to the Secretary in writing nolater than 30th September. Nominations for new Officers and Members may be made by theManagement Committee or member clubs. Nominations from member clubs must be seconded byanother member club. Existing Officers and Members must be nominated and seconded by two
separate member clubs. The Secretary shall give written notice of all such nominations to allmember clubs no later than 5 weeks before the GM.
(g) In the case where there are more nominations than positions for officers or ManagementCommittee Members, a vote will be taken. The 15 Candidate(s) with the greatest number of votes
will be deemed to be elected.

7. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING(a) A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called by either The Management Committee or on
written application of no less than one quarter of the member clubs. Each application must statethat it supports the actual resolution that is to be put before the meeting; it must be on the clubs
official headed paper and be signed by an Officer of the club. The Secretary shall arrange for theSGM to be held no more than four weeks after its request and shall give member clubs at least 14
days’ notice of the meeting together with details of the resolution(s) to be put before the meeting.
(b) Attendance at a SGM is not compulsory, but clubs failing to attend will forfeit their right to vote.
Voting by proxy is not permitted. A quorum for a SGM will be 50% of member clubs and the required
majority will be as described above. The decision as to whether an issue is Constitutional or of theRules and Regulations will lie with the League Chairman.
(c) No other business other than the resolution(s) that is/are being put to the meeting will beallowed

8. FINANCE AND ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS(a) The annual Subscription of member clubs shall be decided at the GM and shall be paid to theTreasurer no later than the following 31st January unless otherwise advised by the Management
Committee. Clubs not having paid their subscriptions by the due date shall be liable to an additional
supplementary payment amounting to half the agreed annual subscription(b) Any surpluses retained year on year shall be held for the benefit of the member clubs and held as
an advance of funds for the future administration of The League.
(c) Surpluses will not be distributed as dividends or profits to member clubs but will be used for thefuture costs of running The League.
(d) Any club leaving The League consents to all funds being retained for the benefit of the continuing
member clubs.
(e) On dissolution or cessation of The League any surplus would go to the County Cricket Boards ofmember clubs in proportion to the number of member clubs affiliated to each County Board.
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