SUHC AGM & New Constitution

05 Nov SUHC AGM & New Constitution

Resolution for SUHC Annual General Meeting on 26 November 2024

Adoption of New Constitution

To consider and, if agreed by special resolution, to replace the Club’s current constitution with a new Constitution in the form annexed to this notice.

Reasons for Adopting New Constitution

The Club is affiliated with Sydney Uni Sport (SUSF). SUSF has directed all its affiliated clubs to amend their constitutions to ensure they meet the requirements placed on SUSF as a registered charity, along with other matters. SUSF may not be able to fund clubs with non-compliant constitutions – which would include SUHC – if our current constitution is not amended, as proposed.

Together with SUSF, a new constitution has been developed specifically for SUHC, based substantially on the template for club constitutions issued by SUSF in 2022. It is proposed that this constitution as agreed with SUSF be adopted at this meeting.

The new constitution retains the Executive as the group responsible for operating the club, as well as streamlining and clarifying SUHC governance. The club will continue to operate substantially as it has for the last few decades (since the men’s and women’s clubs merged), but noting SUSF’s important role.

The major amendments to the constitution are (in summary) that:

• our objects mirror those required by SUSF as a registered charity, with the current objects still used as targets in our Regulations;
• there is a new provision to ensure the Executive includes a minimum of two SU students. If less than two SU students are elected to Executive roles, the Executive can appoint SU students as additional members for the year, but the Executive cannot exceed 10 people;
• the roles of the Committee are now set out in the Club’s Regulations, rather than the Constitution. This limits the level of formal “governance” in the Constitution, although the Committee will continue to support the Executive as before;
• as a body formed under SUSF, the proposed constitution (like all SUSF club constitutions now) gives SUSF a greater role in oversight and process of the club to reflect the requirements under which SUSF operates. This includes working under SUSF’s grievance procedures, if relevant;
• in order to vote at club meetings or have roles with the club, all people must be SUSF annual members; and
• the club’s Regulations are expanded to incorporate items such as its Life Membership Criteria and the charters for any sub-committees, plus SUSF’s own regulations.

The new constitution is more formal and longer than our old constitution. Offsetting benefits are that our governance will be specified more clearly, and will be substantially the same as for all SUSF clubs. It also improves the use of technology for club member meetings.

If adopted, the new Constitution takes effect from the end of the meeting.