1. Title
The club is called The Limerick Sub-Aqua Club and will be referred to in this constitution as the “Club”.

2. New Constitution
This is a new constitution for the Club. Once adopted at a general meeting of the Club, this constitution will replace the existing constitution.

3. Relationship to CFT
The Club will be affiliated to Comhairle Fo-Thuinn, the Irish Underwater Council (CFT) and will adopt CFT guidelines, directives and standards.

4. Object
The object of the Club will be to promote, undertake and enjoy all aspects of the sport of underwater swimming, associated sports and water safety, including, but not confined to, SCUBA diving and snorkelling. The Club will volunteer its members and equipment, as appropriate, for the Search and Rescue of missing persons.

5. Equality
It is a policy of the Club that, subject to meeting the criteria for membership set out in the Rules of the Club, no person will be denied the benefits of membership of the Club or be subjected to discrimination or harassment in any activity of the Club, on the grounds of race, colour, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.

6. Health and Safety
The Club will strive to carry out all its activities in accordance with best practices of Health and Safety.

7. Membership
Membership of the Club will be open to any person who
- is an existing member of the Club; or,
- submits the appropriate application form, satisfies the criteria for membership laid out in the Rules of the Club,     has the application approved by the committee;
- and has paid the annual subscription of the year in which the AGM is held.
The Club has the following classes of membership
Ordinary
Associate Member: Diving
Associate Member: Non-Diving
Honorary
The Annual Subscription fees for the following year will be agreed at the Annual
General Meeting (AGM) for each of these categories of membership and will become part of the Rules of the Club.

8. Admission of new members
Admission of new members will be a responsibility of the Committee.

9. Withdrawal of Membership
The Committee may withdraw membership from any member who is adjudged by the committee not to be abiding by the Rules of the Club or of bringing the Club into disrepute. Withdrawal of membership is to be ratified by an AGM or EGM to be held as soon as possible.

10. Ordinary Membership
Ordinary Membership is open to any person who satisfies the Rules of the Club and be normally over the age of eighteen, but may be offered to those under eighteen provided they comply with the Club’s Rules for the membership of minors.

11. Associate Membership
Associate Membership: Diving is open to all persons, subject to the Rules of the Club, who wish to be associated with the Club and participate in its diving activities but who have already paid their CFT subscriptions through their membership of another CFT affiliated club.

Associate Membership: Non-Diving is open to all persons, subject to the Rules of the Club, who wish to be associated with the Club, but who do not wish to participate in the Club’s diving activities.

12. Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership may be granted at the AGM to those whom the Club wishes to honour. Honorary Membership is for the life of the individual and may only be withdrawn by a majority of two-thirds in a vote at an AGM or an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). An Honorary Member will be deemed to have the rights of an Ordinary Member for the purpose of this constitution.

13. Organization
The overall management of the Club is vested in the Membership who will act through the AGM or EGMs. The day-to-day management of the Club will be carried out by the Committee, who will be expected to act in the best interest of the Club at all times. If one third of the members of the committee have grave concern that the committee has not acted in the best interests of the Club, they are obligated to request an EGM of the Club. Members of the committee will be elected at the AGM and be Ordinary Members of the Club who have indicated their willingness to serve on the Committee. The Committee will consist of:
Chairperson
Diving Officer
Secretary
Treasurer
Equipment Officer
Training Officer
Two other members whose duties will be agreed by the Committee.

14. Chairperson
The Chairperson will convene regular meetings of the Committee, preside over its meetings and represent the Club in its dealings with others clubs and with the public.

15. Diving Officer
The Diving Officer will be responsible for the observation of all safety precautions, for the supervision of all training programmes, and for the supervision of all Club diving activities, either personally, or by dive leaders appointed by him or the committee.

16. Secretary
The secretary will keep all the necessary Club records and communicate to the members of the Club, or to others on behalf of the Club.

17. Treasurer
The Treasurer will receive all monies on behalf of the Club, manage them prudently on behalf of the Club, maintain the accounts of income and expenditure and provide a report of the Club accounts at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer will also
maintain the official register of members.

18. Training Officer
The Training Officer will be responsible for the implementation of all training schedules in the Club.

19. Equipment Officer
The Equipment Officer will be responsible to ensure that all Club equipment used in diving activities is safe and maintained to an appropriate standard.

20. The Committee
The committee will have the following functions:
To meet as often as required, but not less than six times a year, to carry out the functions of the Committee.
To govern the Club in the interests of its members.
To keep a register of the Club membership.
To grant membership to those persons who fulfil the necessary requirements.
To withdraw membership from any member who is adjudged by the committee not to be abiding by the rules of the Club or     of bringing the Club into disrepute.
To oversee and maintain the Club’s equipment and assets.
To maintain appropriate insurance for the Club’s activities and equipment
To specify such procedures and precautions as are considered necessary.
To create and implement Rules and Recommendations for the running of the Club and its activities. The Rules and         Recommendations will include inter alia diving standards, fitness to dive, policy on visitors to the Club, family     membership, and a policy for the inclusion of minors in the Club. The committee is tasked to produce the Rules and
Recommendations and to have them ratified by a general meeting of the Club. These Rules are binding on Club members and     will be valid until removed by a vote at an AGM or an EGM.
To notify the members of new information and practices from CFT.
To delegate authority to any person or persons.
To appoint sub-committees as are considered desirable.
To co-opt a replacement member of the Committee if a vacancy arises.
An EGM may be called at the request of at least one third of the membership of the Committee.
Liabilities, claims and expenses of members of the Committee arising out of the exercise of these functions will be         indemnified by the Club’s members.

21. Child Liaison Officer
The AGM will appoint an Ordinary Member of the Club to be the Child Liaison Officer (CLO). This Officer will not be a member of the Committee. The CLO will be familiar with the CFT and national guidelines for the protection and security of children. The Officer will oversee and provide guidelines for all Club activities in which minors participate. The Committee will implement the guidelines. The CLO will have the authority to call an EGM to inform the membership, to implement new guidelines or to
ratify any proposal including the expulsion of a member for inappropriate behaviour.

22. Meetings
Each year the Club will have an Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meetings as described below.

23. Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on a date decided by the Committee, before the end of October each year. Notice of the meeting will be sent in writing to each member twenty-one days in advance. Voting at an AGM is confined to Ordinary Members over the age of eighteen who are in attendance at the meeting.
The AGM will have the following format, inter alia:
- Reports from officers and matters arising from the reports;
- Confirmation of Committee rulings;
- Discussion and voting on motions which have been circulate in writing to the members;
- Confirm or vary the subscription for the current year;
- Agree any loans;
- Election of committee;
- Appointment of Trustees;
- Any other business.

24. Extraordinary General Meetings
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be held at any time to discuss matters of importance to the Club. An EGM may be requested by one third of the members of the Committee, or, by a request signed by at least ten Ordinary Members submitted to the Secretary, or at the request of the Child Liaison Officer, or by a Trustee. Notice of the meeting will be sent, by the Secretary, in writing to each member fourteen days in advance, together with the business or motion(s) to be discussed. No other business may be discussed at an EGM. Voting at an EGM is confined to Ordinary Members over the age of eighteen who are in
attendance at the meeting.

25. Trustees
The Club property will be formally vested in not less than two Trustees of the Club, who will be elected at the AGM. A Trustee, once appointed, will continue in office until s/he retires or dies or is removed from office by a vote of not less than two thirds of those voting at an AGM or EGM of the Club. If the number of Trustees falls below two, the Committee must call an EGM to elect new Trustees. A Trustee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting to resolve issues concerning the property of the Club. Liabilities, claims and expenses of Trustees arising out of the exercise of these functions will be indemnified by the Club’s members.

26. Finance T
he Treasurer, with the Committee, will control the day-to-day finances of the Club. The treasurer will maintain Current and Deposit bank accounts with the approval of the Committee. All cheques will be signed by the Treasurer plus another person(s) as agreed by the Committee. All payments over fifty euro will be by cheque, unless agreed by the Committee. Unless the Committee authorizes otherwise, all withdrawals from the Deposit account(s) will be by transfer to the Current Account.

27. Audit of Finances
The report of the Club accounts presented to the AGM by the Treasurer will be certified by an external auditor in advance of the meeting.

28. Personal Insurance
On payment of their CFT subscription, each member will be insured through the Club with CFT. Only on receiving their current years CFT membership card is a member deemed to be insured for the purpose of Club activities. In certain circumstances the Dive Officer may override this, when CFT have confirmed that a member is insured for diving activities.

29. Changes to the Constitution and Dissolution of the Club
Any motion to change the Club constitution, or to dissolve the Club, must be made at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club. Notice of such motions must be sent in writing to all members with the notice convening the meeting. Passage of such a motion requires a majority of two-thirds of the voting members present at the meeting.

This constitution of the Limerick Sub Aqua Club was accepted at the AGM of the Club, held in the
Schrödinger Building, University of Limerick, on the 22nd September 2006. The new constitution was
proposed by John Breen and seconded by Brian Kearney.
John Breen
Secretary
22 September 2006.