The Association shall be called the Derbyshire Hockey Association (herein “the DHA”). The Association shall be affiliated to England Hockey Board (herein “EHB”) and the Midland Region Hockey Association (herein “the MRHA”) and shall be bound by the constitution, regulations and bylaws of these bodies.
The boundaries of the DHA shall be the administrative County of Derbyshire and the Unitary Authority of the City of Derby. Where historically clubs or schools outside these boundaries have affiliated to Derbyshire this will continue to be permitted with the approval of the DHA. Herein the “constituency” will be “the County”
3.1 To represent the interest of all hockey within Derbyshire.
3.2 To actively encourage, support, promote and develop hockey at all levels throughout the County by ensuring equal opportunities regardless of age, gender, race, ethnic origin, religion or disability at a level appropriate to needs and aspirations.
3.3 To allow players, umpires, coaches, managers and official to develop their potential.
Membership shall be by affiliation and shall be open to Clubs and Schools within 2 above.
Honorary Life Membership may be conferred at the AGM on any person that has rendered exceptional service to the Association.
Life Members and Vice-Presidents of the preceding Derbyshire Hockey Associations will automatically be granted Honorary Life Membership of the Association.
No Affiliate Member shall:
4.1 be accepted as a member unless its name clearly distinguishes it from any other Affiliated Member.
4.2 change its name or incorporate any sponsorship reference without the prior permission of the Association and EHB.
The DHA will be governed by an Executive Council (EC) and various Sub-Groups as necessary, the composition of which will be as follows:
Executive Council (EC)Officers
President
Vice–President
Secretary
Treasurer
Lead Officer, Schools and Youth Group
Lead Officer, Coaching Group
Lead Officer, Player Pathway Group
Two Representatives from the pool of Area Groups
Midlands Region Council Representative
Disciplinary Representative
Umpires Representative
Representative for Men’s Hockey and Midlands League
Representative for Women’s Hockey and Derbyshire/Midlands League
Sub Groups:
Men’s Hockey and representation to Midlands League
Women’s Hockey and Derbyshire League and representation to Midlands League
Schools and Youth Group
Coaching Group
Player Pathway Group
Two officers and three members shall constitute a quorum for the Council.
The Executive Council shall have power to co-opt members but these may not vote. A co-opted member shall not serve beyond the termination of the AGM next following the member’s co-option but may be co-opted again thereafter for a further term, unless a General Meeting resolves otherwise.
The Officers shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the conclusion of the next following Annual General Meeting. The President may hold office for 3 consecutive years and shall then be ineligible for re-election for a year. There shall be no limit on the time for which any other Officer may serve in an office.
The President shall be the chairman of the Executive but in the President’s absence, the Vice –President shall fulfill the role, otherwise the Executive shall elect some other member to chair that particular meeting.
One individual may hold more than one role with the exception of the roles of President, Secretary and Treasurer which are mutually exclusive.
Executive Council Members with voting rights are elected in person at the AGM and will normally be from Affiliated Clubs or Schools.
Where any other person is invited to attend EC, for example an SDO or PDM attending to represent an Area Group, or a representative from Derbyshire Sport or EHB, he or she will have no voting right.
6.1 To lay down the policies of the Association.
6.2 To control finance of and agree budgets for Sub-groups and teams and the Association.
6.3 To control communication between the County, Region and EHB.
6.4 To manage the Sub-groups and their work.
6.5 To define need for and tasks of cross-functional teams, as required.
6.6 To make decisions regarding affiliation to / disaffiliation from outside organizations.
6.7 To approve certain appointments to Sub-groups.
6.8 To nominate representatives to regional (and other) associations.
6.9 To approve remits for Officers and Sub-groups of the Association.
6.10 To approve long term planning of the Association.
6.11 To ratify decisions made by the Executive Council.
Each club or School shall pay an affiliation fee to the DHA, the amount of which shall be determined each year at the AGM and shall be due by 1st October. Affiliation fees shall also be payable to EHB and MRHA at levels and dates set those bodies.
Every Club will pay an AGM Attendance Bond Fee. The fee will be due at the time of all other affiliation fees. Each season the fee will be reimbursed after the season’s DHA AGM only if the club has been represented at that AGM. The minimum Bond fee will be 50 pounds per Club. Its level can only be changed by vote at the AGM.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in May or before the MRHA AGM.
Notice of the AGM with a copy of the agenda will be sent to every affiliated hockey club and school at least 21 days before the date of the meeting. The business of the AGM will consist of
a. Presentation of reports and accounts.
b. Election of officers to the Council.
c. Election of Sub-group Lead officers.
d. Election of County Representatives to Regional and other associations.
e. Appointment of Honorary Auditor(s).
f. Setting the affiliation fees.
g. Amendments to the constitution.
h. Any other items of business notified in advance (see 9b below).
a) Applicable to the Council, all Sub-group Meetings, groupings and meetings convened by the Association.
• Each officer of the DHA Council shall have one vote.
• Each member shall have one vote only even if attending in more than one capacity.
• Decisions will be by a majority vote.
• In event of a split vote, the President / Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
• If the President / Chairperson is unable to attend a meeting then a Vice- President / Vice-Chair shall take the Chair. In the absence of the Vice-Chair the voting members present shall appoint one of their number to be in the Chair for the meeting.
b) Applicable in addition to the AGM
• All proposed changes to the constitution and any other items of business shall be forwarded in writing to the Secretary of the DHA Council 28 days before the AGM.
• Each affiliated school shall have one vote.
• Each club shall have 4 votes if a joint men’s and women’s club or, 2 votes if a single gender club.
• A quorum will be 2 Officers and 15 members. If a quorum is not present at the due start time, the meeting shall be automatically adjourned for fourteen days at a time and place decided by the Officers when the quorum shall be one person entitled to be present and vote.
The Secretary to the Council shall convene a Special General Meeting (“SGM”) at any time by order of the Council or on receiving a written requisition to do so signed by or on behalf of the officers of no fewer than seven Affiliated Members. The written request should state the reason for such a meeting.
Within fourteen days of the receipt of such a request the Secretary to the Council shall give 28 days notice to all members of the meeting and the business to be discussed.
No other business shall be transacted at an SGM.
Business transacted at a SGM shall be on the terms applicable to the AGM.
• The funds of the DHA shall be vested in the Treasurer to the Council.
• Affiliation fees shall become due on 1st October in each year.
• The financial year shall end on 30th August.
• The accounts shall be scrutinised externally on an annual basis.
• A printed statement of accounts shall be sent to each affiliated club and school.
• The statement of account shall be presented for adoption at the AGM.
• All cheques on the account shall be signed by any two of three nominated signatories.
• All transactions shall be covered by appropriate paperwork and approved by the Council.
• The Treasurer in consultation with the Council shall monitor the budgets of each Sub-group or team. These budgets will be set and approved by the Council.
• The Treasurer will work with the Sub-group Lead officers / Team Chairmen to provide balance sheets for each Sub-group / Team to the next Council Meeting after 30th August.
A resolution to dissolve the Association may be made at an AGM or SGM only by the affirmative vote of at least three quarters of those present entitled to vote and voting. If agreed, all assets remaining, after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities, shall be given or transferred to such other Associations having objects similar to the DHA as the members of the DHA may determine, or failing that shall be applied for some other sporting purpose.
The DHA Council shall determine any question on the interpretation of the constitution and anything relevant to the DHA not provided for in the Constitution.
Any person serving on any committee or subcommittee of the Association or appointed by and acting on behalf of the Association shall be indemnified by the Association against any costs, claims, damages or other expenses which may arise from any action taken with the authority of the Association other than any such arising from the willful act or default of such person. For the avoidance of doubt the Executive Council acting on behalf of the Association may take out such insurance as it considers reasonably necessary to cover any such matters or the conduct of the same and may pay the premiums thereon out of its general funds.
15.1 The disciplinary measures laid down from time to time by EHB and MRHA shall apply. Subject thereto, the Executive Council (EC) may make and apply additional disciplinary measures that shall apply in the County. The EC shall appoint such persons, as it thinks fit, to administer the disciplinary measures.
15.2 The EC shall have power (after due investigation) to suspend, fine or expel any Affiliated Member or Personal Member who has been found by the EC to its reasonable satisfaction to have infringed the Constitution (including any regulations or bylaws made under it). In exercising these powers the EC shall have due regard to the law and the rules of natural justice as well as any procedures laid down by EHB and the MRHA.
15.3 Any offender penalised by the Association shall have a right of appeal to the President of MRHA or any person nominated by such President.
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