This is only a working document

RULES and CONSTITUTION of

 St Bernards Old Collegians Football Club Incorporated

A.            NAMES AND OBJECTS. 

1.            The Club shall be called St Bernard’s Old Collegians Football Club Incorporated, hereinafter referred to as 'the Club'. 

B.            DEFINITIONS.

            2.            In these Rules, unless the contrary intention appears:-

'Act' refers to the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 and the subsequent Amendments to the Act;

                        'AGM' refers to the annual general meeting;

'Board of Management' means the committee of management of the Club;

'financial year' of the Club shall date from the first day of October till the last of September of the following year;

                        'general meeting' means a meeting to which all members are invited;

                        'Member' refers to a member of the Club;

                        'ordinary resolution' means a resolution other than a special resolution;

'poll' means voting conducted in written form (as opposed to a show of hands);

'special general meeting' refers to a general meeting other than the annual general meeting'

Persons means individuals

C.            OBJECTIVES

            3.            The Club is to field teams to participate as follows in:-

(a)            The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), such teams shall be described as St Bernards Old Collegians Football Club.

(b)            The Western Region Football League (WSRL), such teams shall be described as St Bernards Football Club.

(c)            any other Australian Rules Football association deemed properly fit by the Board of Management .

D.            RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

4.            The Board of Management must ensure that all decisions and actions are in accordance with: - all relevant legislations including but not limited to

                        (a)            The Associations Incorporations Act ('Act'),

                        (b)            Licensing Act (XXXXX),

                        (c)            Occupational Health and Safety Act (YYYYY),

5.     The Board of Management must also ensure that all decisions and actions are in accordance with the leasing arrangements with the College.   

E            POWERS OF THE CLUB

6.            The powers conferred on the Club are the same as those conferred by Section 13 of the Act, so that subject to the Act and any additions, exclusions or modifications inserted below, the Club may do all things necessary or convenient for carrying out its objects and purposes, and on particular:-

(a)            acquire, hold, deal with, and dispose of any real or personal property;

(b)            open and operate bank accounts;

(c)            invest its money  -

(i)            in any security in which trust monies can be lawfully invested; or

(ii)            in any other manner authorised by the Rules of the Club;

(d)            borrow money upon such terms and conditions as the board of management deems fit;

(e)            give such security for the discharge of liabilities incurred by the Club as the board of management thinks fit;

(f)            appoint agents to transact any business of the Club on its behalf;

(g)            enter into any other contract it considers necessary or desirable; and

(h)            may act as trustee and accept  and hold real  and personal property upon trust, but does not have power to do any act or thing as a trustee, if done otherwise than as a trustee, would contravene this Act or Rules of the Club.

7.            The Club shall not be dissolved or change its name except by the motion of a General Meeting of the Club, notice of such motion to be given to each member of the Club at least fourteen (14) days prior to the said General Meeting.

8.            The property and income of the Club shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Club and no part of that property or income may be paid or otherwise distributed, directly or indirectly, to members, except in good faith in the promotion of those objects.            

F.            MEMBERSHIP

9.            Membership of the club will be open to any individual on an annual basis upon payment of the annual subscription as determined by the board of management, provided that the board of management shall have the right at it’s absolute discretion to determine an individual ineligible for membership.

The secretary shall maintain an annual register of members.

10.            The annual subscription shall be determined each year by the Board of Management. There shall be no entrance fee.

11.            Honorary life membership shall be conferred on members for outstanding service to the Club at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Board of Management. No more than

two (2) persons shall be nominated for life membership in any one year.

            Membership criteria, the criteria for admission as a life member shall be as

(1)  20 year period of association

-   Administrator

-  Coaching Staff Member

-  Support Staff Member

(2)  200 VAFA games& 10 years of association as

-       Administrator

-       Coaching Staff Member

-       Support Staff Member

F.            BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

12.            The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Board of Management elected annually by the Members at the Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in November each year.

Notice of the AGM shall be given at least 14 clear days prior to the date of the Meeting to the members by the Secretary of the Club. 

13.            Only members aged 18 years or over at the last day of the financial year are eligible to vote.

14.            The Board of Management shall be represented by the nine (9) elected honorary members, consisting of a Chairman of Directors, Secretary, Director of Finance, Director of VAFA Operations, Director of WRFL Operations, Senior Players Representative and 3 other directors.

15.            The Board of Management shall meet at least once a calendar month during the football season and at such other times as may deemed necessary.

16.            Five (5) members of the Board of Management shall form a quorum for its meeting.

17.            At all meetings of the Club or the Board of Management the Chairman (or Acting Chairman) shall have a deliberative vote as well as a casting vote.

18.            In the absence of the Chairman of Directors from a meeting of the Club the Board of Management shall elect one of its members to preside at the meeting as the Acting Chairman.

19.            Every member of the Board of Management shall have the power to appoint a proxy to act in his stead and who shall have the same rights and responsibilities in all matters including voting rights.

20.            The Board of Management shall, at its first meeting, appoint responsible persons to be the Member of the VAFA and a Delegate to the WSFL, and any other associations the club fields teams.

21.            The auditors of the Club shall be appointed by the Board of Management at its first meeting after the Annual General Meeting.

            22.            The Board of Management shall at all times have power to:-

(a)            appoint such committees consisting of one or more persons as it deems fit and to delegate any of its powers to any such committee,

(b)            appoint such officials as it deems fit and to pay any such official such salary or honorarium as it may fix from time to time.

G            ATTENDANCE AT BOARD OF MANAGEMENT MEETINGS

22.            Any member of the Board of Management absent from three consecutive meetings without in the opinion of the Board of Management sufficient reason therefore, shall be held to have vacated office and for the purposes of Rule 22 a vacancy shall be deemed to exist provided that the attendance of a proxy on behalf of that Board of Management member shall be deemed to be in attendance by that Board of Management member. 

23.            Should a member of the Board of Management vacate office during the year, the Board of Management shall have the power to fill such a vacancy with the replacement member having the same rights and responsibilities as the original Board of Management member including voting rights.

H            DUTIES

24.            The Chairman of Directors shall control and be responsible for the overall operations of the Club and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees or sub-committees of the Board of Management.

25.            The Director of VAFA football operations shall be responsible for all matters relating to the functioning of the senior, reserves and under-age teams participating in the VAFA and shall be entitled to co-opt and appoint persons to assist him in his duties.

26.            The Director of the WRFL football operations shall be responsible for all matters relating to the functioning of the under-age teams in the WRFL and shall be entitled to co-opt and appoint persons to assist him in his duties.

27.            The Director of Finance shall receive all monies and pay same into a bank nominated by the Board of Management within seven (7) days of receiving same. He shall keep a correct account of all receipts and expenditures and submit a report to the Board of Management at each monthly meeting. All cheques on the Bank are to be signed by the Chairman and the Director of Finance or the Secretary and the Director of Finance. All financial particulars are to be entered into proper books of account.

28.            The Seniors players representative shall be responsible for Social functions and shall represent the views of the VAFA players to the Board of Management.

29.            The Secretary/Administrator shall attend Board of Management meetings and shall take and prepare Minutes of all General and Board of Management meetings and carry out the directions of the Board of Management and attend to the administration of the Club.

The Secretary shall be entitled to co-opt and appoint persons to assist in these duties.      

30.            It is the responsibility of the Secretary/Administrator that he/she each year the Club obtains, receives and ensures the implementation of any amendments to the legislation regarding incorporation, licensing, OHS and any other recent legislation that affect the operations and management of the Club.

31.            The Secretary/Administrator, on behalf of the Club, must comply with Section 27 of the Act and keep and maintain a Register of Members in which shall be entered the full name, address and date of entry of the name of each member and the Register shall be available for inspection by members upon request, such request be given with fourteen days notice.

32.            Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, the Secretary/Administrator shall keep in his/her or delegate control all books, documents and securities of the Club. Members may inspect these documents upon giving 14 days notice to the Secretary.

I            APPOINTMENT OF COACHES, CAPTAINS AND SELECTION COMMITTEES

33.            All coaching positions shall be advertised annually. Applicants shall be interviewed by a Selection committee approved by the Board of Management and the nominated candidates confirmed by the Board of Management.

34.            The Selection Committee(s) shall consist of the coach of each team and a panel of members appointed by the Board of Management after consultation with the coaches.

35.            Captains and vice-captains of all teams shall be appointed by the Board of Management after consultation with the selection committee.

J            GENERAL

36.            The financial year of the Club shall date from the first day of October to the last day of September  in the succeeding year.

37.            The uniform to be worn by the teams shall be decided upon by the Board of Management and shall not be altered except by a motion of the said Board of Management.

38.            The Chairman shall call a Special General Meeting on receipt in writing of a requisition setting forth the objects of the meeting and signed by thirty (30) members of such meeting to be held within (30) days of receipt of such requisition provided that fourteen (14) days notice in writing of such meeting be given to the members of the Club by the Board of Management.

Ten (10) percent of the members of the Club shall be deemed to represent a quorum  for a general meeting.

39.            The Rules and Objectives of the Club shall not be altered except in accordance with the Act, and in particular a majority of not less than three-fouths of a general meeting may alter, rescind or amend the Rules and Constitution of the Club.

40.            The Board of Management shall have power to enquire into the conduct of any member of the Club, and to expel, suspend, fine, reprimand or otherwise deal with him as it sees fit and shall appoint a disciplinary sub-committee for this purpose. If the member is under 18 years that member may be accompanied to the meeting by his/her parents or other care giver. 

41.            A notice may be served by or on behalf of the Club upon any member either personally or by sending it by post to the member at his address shown in the Register of Members.

42.            Where a document is properly addressed pre-paid and posted to a person as a letter, the document shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been given to the person at the time at which the letter would have been delivered in the ordinary course of post.

43.            The funds of the Club shall be derived from annual subscriptions, donations and other such sources as the Board of Management determines.

44.            In the event of the winding up or the cancellation of the incorporation of the Club, the assets of the Club shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Match report from Dors and Wheels:

Well after months of planning and 2000 emails from Vinnie McGuire, Legends’ Day was finally upon us.
Prior to the game, the ever-reliant umpires visited the players’ rooms to ensure they understood the manner with which this game should be played. One umpire was fully prepared, sporting his black sunglasses, using his white cane and accompanied by his trusty Seeing Eye dog!!
Fortunately there was a second umpire, although he insisted on wearing his shorts so high his voice kept jumping a few octaves.
The valiant past players eventually took to the field and prepared to battle. After much nudging and tussling the game was on! Four fifteen minute quarters were ahead of them and what a game it would be!
Unfortunately despite the care taken by the players not to rough each other up too much, Jason Gollant did fail to complete the game. Another great warrior struck down by his Achilles heel! Surgery has been completed and time will aid his recovery. The final score was 4-4-28 to 4-10-34. although the score may not completely reflect the tenacity and dedication of the players.
They're getting a little wider in the girth and a little greyer on top and the stories of former greatness are getting bigger but the old timers managed to entertain the crowd and afterwards themselves in a big day at the Pit last weekend.

Ian Wheeler nominated Paul Dalmau for the 'pretty boy award' after Mumbles finished showering he produced the first can of talcum powder and bottle of Arimis seen at 'the Pit' since 1974. This also clinched the coaches award .. Mumbles won most valuable player .. unfortunately it was from the opposition coach Snaz! ... pics below

Note: If you havent already become a member make sure you do so as your club needs your support. The club has a range of membership, player sponsorship and sponsorship packages available - for details contact Luke Gollant 0419 502 588 or John Hughes 040403 056 584

Our last two home games are shaping up as finals deciding matches v Old Haileybury on 31st July and v Uni Blacks on 14th Aug Luncheon details on HOME page