Constitution & Rules

1. Club Title

The Club shall be known as the City of Plymouth Athletic Club [COPAC]

2. Objectives

The promotion, development and encouragement of Athletics

3. Colours

Green vest with black and white vertical Stripes and black shorts or black leggings

4. Income and Property

The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely to the stated objectives and no portion thereof shall be paid by way of profit to any member of the Club

5. Membership

a) Membership shall be open to all Athletes as defined by UKA rules.
b) Members shall be deemed to remain as such until such time as a written resignation letter has been received by the Club Secretary. The Member’s resignation shall take effect from the date of the written notice.
c) Members who are three months in arrears with their bank standing order payment shall be considered to have resigned their membership. Members whose membership has been so terminated shall be required to pay the sum equivalent to six months membership fees if they apply for membership within twelve months of their resignation.
d) General Committee Members, Coaches and UKA Qualified Officials shall be given honorary membership for the period that they are actively working for the club.
e) The general Committee may consider granting any Member with fifteen years unbroken service from their 21st birthday Life Membership. This is not automatically given; the General Committee shall take into account services carried out by the member for the good of the club.f) Life membership shall be available to any person on payment of a fee equivalent to ten years of the annual subscription.
g) Second claim membership shall be accepted subject to paragraph 6(a).

6. Subscriptions

a) Subscriptions shall be due from the date of joining and shall be payable by bank standing order as set out by the General Committee.
b) The General Committee shall have the power to waive all or part of any subscription should it seem fit to do so.
c) Family Subscriptions shall be defined as Parent/Guardian/Carer plus any dependant relative in full time education or at the discretion of the General Committee.

7. Membership Fees

These will be set by the General Committee and will be the subject of periodic review.

8. Management

a) The management of the Club shall be vested in the General Committee which shall consist of:

  1. President – ex officio
  2. Chair
  3. Vice Chair
  4. Treasurer
  5. Club Secretary
  6. Membership Secretary
  7. Welfare Officcer
  8. Mens Team Manager
  9. Ladies team manager
  10. YDL Team Manager
  11. Cross Country Team Manager
  12. Sportshall Team Manager
  13. Grants/Funding Manager
  14. Kit Manager
  15. Entertainment/Publicity Manager
  16. Schools Liaison Officer
  17. Website Manager

b) The Finance Sub Committee shall consist of the Treasurer and up to six other persons, one of whom must be the Chair or the Club Secretary.

9. General Committee

a) The General Committee shall be elected by the Secretary calling for nominations which must be received at least fourteen days prior to the Annual General Meeting [AGM] which is held in November each year. Should there be more than one nomination for any post, the Secretary shall inform members prior to the AGM. Voting for election to the General Committee will be in person at the AGM. Proxy votes may be accepted by the Chair with an acceptable reason for the member not being able to attend in person.
b) In order to keep continuity on the election of Members to the General committee, the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Club Secretary will be appointed for a period of two years. All other positions on the general Committee shall be appointed on an annual basis. The positions of Chair and Club Secretary will run concurrently and will be appointed on odd years. The positions of Vice Chair and Treasurer will run concurrently and be appointed on even years.
c) The General Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to fill any vacancies on the general Committee and to appoint nominees for election to the Committee of all organisations to which the Club is affiliated.
d) The position of Head Coach and Team Managers will be appointed by the General Committee.
e) The Treasurer shall be one of the four signatories appointed by the General Committee any two of which may sign cheques on behalf of the Club

10. Meetings

a) The AGM will be held during the month of November each year at no less than twenty eight days’ notice in writing to all members. The meeting will be to receive the Club Secretary’s and the Treasurer’s reports and a statement of the Club Accounts, to pass the same and elect the Clubs General Committee members for the following twelve months or two years depending on the positions up for re-election.
b) Voting at the AGM will be open to all those who qualify for membership under paragraph 5.
c) No amendments or additions shall be made to the Constitution, except at the AGM or at a General Meeting called by the Club Secretary on receipt of a request for such signed by at least ten percent of members, stating the reason for which the Meeting has been called.
d) Any amendments or additions submitted for the AGM must be made in writing to the Club Secretary at least seven days prior to the AGM.
e) For the purpose of General Committee meetings a quorum of five members, two of whom must be either the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer or Club Secretary, must be in attendance.

11. Disciplinary Procedure

The Disciplinary Procedure as notified to all Clubs by UKA has been adopted by the club. Full details are available on the UKA website or by written request to the Club Secretary.

12. Quorum

A quorum for the AGM or General Meeting shall consist of at least twenty people qualifying for membership under paragraph 5.

13. Chair

At any AGM, General Meeting or General Committee Meeting, the Chair shall have the casting vote should this be necessary.

14. Child Protection and Inclusion

The Club has adopted a revised version of the UKA policies on Child Protection and Inclusion. A copy of this is on the club website or can be requested in writing from the Club Secretary.

15. Procedures to be Followed on the Closure of the Club


a) The membership may only vote to close the Club if not less than three quarters of those present at a properly convened AGM or General Meeting support the proposal.
b) The General Committee shall then be responsible for the orderly closure of the Club’s affairs.
c) After settling the Clubs liabilities the remaining net assets will be disposed of by the General Committee to one or more of the following:-
i. another athletic/running club which is a registered charity
ii. another athletic/running club registered with UKA
iii. the Club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports

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