ATSA - Ayrshire Target Shooting Association
Registered County Association of the NSRA
Constitution
1. The Association shall be called the "AYRSHIRE TARGET SHOOTING ASSOCIATION" and will be a
non-profit making association.
2. The Association shall be affiliated to the National Small-bore Rifle Association and any other
such National Association and shall conform to the rules and regulations imposed thereby.
In addition the Association shall remain a County organization, as defined within the rules
of the National Small-bore Rifle Association, for as long as it can remain financially viable.
3. The objects of the Association shall be to cultivate small-bore rifle and pistol shooting in the
County of Ayr and to foster friendly relations between affiliated clubs and members.
4. Membership of the Association shall be open to :-
a) rifle and/or pistol clubs affiliated to the appropriate national associations.
b) associated members.
c) affiliated clubs representing other or specialising in other forms of target shooting and
not taking part in competitions arranged by the Council.
Such membership will be termed "Country Membership".
5. The Council may, if they think fit, refuse to accept into membership any club or individual
without giving any reason.
6. The officers of the Association shall consist of Honorary Life Presidents, Honorary Presidents, Honorary Vice Presidents,
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, League Match Secretary, Competition Secretary and Webmaster.
Except for the Honorary Life Presidents all officers shall be elected annually at the AGM.
The officers shall have the right to vote ex-officio at all meetings of the Association and may, when advising the Secretary
of any absence, advise a proxy to vote on his/her behalf.
The Chairman shall have a casting vote as well as a deliberate vote.
When needed the casting vote shall be cast to maintain the status quo.
7. The Association shall be managed by a Council consisting of the Officers of the Association one representative from
each club restricted to members below the age of 22 and two representatives from all other clubs taking full membership
of the Association and lying within the boundaries of Ayrshire.
Clubs located outwith the boundaries of Ayrshire shall provide one representative unless the number of representatives
from these clubs exceeds three quarters of those allocated to the clubs within Ayrshire.
At that point the Council may adjust the number of representatives from each Ayrshire club to maintain an allocation
ratio of 4:3 to the favour of the Ayrshire based clubs.
Each club representative shall be entitled to one vote "County Membership" will not provide any voting rights at
Council meetings.
Meetings of the Council shall be arranged by the Council, three members to form a quorum.
8. The Council may fill any vacancy occurring in the Council during the year.
9. The League Match Secretary and the Competition Secretary may appoint assistant secretaries who shall be approved
by the Council.
Such assistant secretaries shall be ex-officio members of the Council.
10. A club cannot be represented at any meeting of the Association except by a duly delegated member of that club.
11. The amount of the annual subscription to be paid by each affiliated club and associated member in the categories of Full Affiliation, Junior Affiliation and Country Affiliation shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting.
Such subscriptions are payable to the Treasurer by the date fixed at the Annual General Meeting.
The Council shall have the power, given under Paragraph 18 of the Constitution, to deal with those in arrears.
12. Properties of the Association shall be vested in the Council for the time being.
All Association trophies shall be returned to the Secretary on demand.
13. Members of the Council are indemnified by the Association against any claim or demand in respect
of any liability properly and bona fide incurred on behalf of the Association.
14. The financial year shall end on the 30th of April.
The Accounts of the Association shall be examined by an auditor or auditors appointed at the preceding AGM
Any vacancy arising in such an appointment may be filled by the Council.
15. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of May at such time and place as shall be determined
by the Council.
All members of the affiliated clubs and all associate members may attend the Annual General Meeting at which
four members of each club shall each be entitled to one vote.
A quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be five Representatives or Council Members.
Associate members may not vote unless otherwise entitled.
At the Annual General Meeting the following business shall be transacted:-
a) Election of Honorary Life President when such an office is warranted;
b) Election of Officers other than Honorary Life Presidents as in paragraph 5;
c) Appointment of Auditor(s) c) Receipt of balance sheet and report of Council;
d) Determination of annual subscriptions and affiliation fees and date of payment thereof
e) Revision of or amendment to the Constitution, as necessary; and Other ordinary business of the Association.
16. An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association shall be called by the decision of the Council within not
more than 28 clear days nor less than 14 clear days of the date of receipt by the Secretary of a written request
for such a meeting specifying the business of the meeting and signed by the secretaries of at least
two-thirds of the affiliated clubs.
17. The Constitution shall not be altered or modified in any way except by a two-thirds majority of the members
voting at a General Meeting.
Notice of any proposed alteration to the Constitution or notice of any other item of business must be sent to
the Secretary in writing twenty-one clear days before the General Meeting.
The purport of such notice shall be conveyed to the secretary of each club fourteen clear days before the
meeting, in the circular convening such meeting.
18. Life membership of the Association may be awarded at an Annual General Meeting for long and meritorious service.
Such a member may speak at any meeting and, as an officer of the Council, shall be entitled to a vote.
19. The Council shall draw up the conditions for all competitions, including the entry monies.
There shall be no deviation from these conditions unless with the prior consent of the Council.
20. Should any affiliated club or member of any affiliated club or any associate member be considered guilty of conduct
injurious to the interests and/or character of the Association, the Council, on being informed of such in writing,
shall take immediate cognisance of the case and commence the disciplinary procedure set out in bye-law 1001.
On conclusion of the disciplinary procedure the Council shall have power to expel from the Association or otherwise
deal with the club or individual concerned, as determined by the proceedings.
21. Should there be a need to wind up the Ayrshire Target Association, for any reason other than amalgamation
with an agreed appropriate organisation, then any accumulated funds will be either returned to the clubs making
up the membership at that time or donated to a national organisation according to the wishes of the affiliated clubs.
22. Constitution, as set down, incorporates all changes from AGM's up to May 2016
Bye- Law 1001
Disciplinary Procedure
Should any affiliated club or member of any affiliated club or any associate member be considered guilty of conduct
injurious to the interests and/or character of the Association, the Council, on being informed of such in writing, shall
take immediate cognisance of the case.
The Council shall give 14 days’ notice to the club or individual to appear or to be represented at the Council meeting
called to consider the case.
The person or club may bring to the specified Council meeting as many witnesses as they deem necessary to make
their case but must advise the Council not less than 5 days before the meeting of the numbers they will be bringing.
The Council, after hearing such explanation as may be offered, may dismiss the complaint but shall have power to
expel from the Association or otherwise deal with the club or individual concerned if the complaint is found to be
proven and must advise their intended verdict within 14 days of the hearing.
Following an announcement of the Council’s verdict the person or club will have 14 days from that date in which to
lodge an appeal which must detail the grounds on which the appeal is made.
The Council will then appoint any of its Honorary Presidents that were not present at the hearing meeting to chair an
appeal meeting which will comprise at least three club committee members drawn from at least two clubs that did
not attend the initial hearing.
The person or club may bring up to two persons to support the appeal.
Should the appeal hearing support the decision of the Council meeting its verdict will take immediate effect unless
the person or club advises within 14 days that it will appeal to the governing body.
Should the appeal hearing go against the Council the Council may call for a re-appraisal of the original appeal
hearing’s findings and, should it feel that justice has not prevailed, would have the right to take the case to its
governing body provided it took that action within 14 days from receipt of the appeal hearing’s judgement.
The person or club would be notified of this action and no action will be taken by the Council against the person or
club until all procedural actions are completed.
It is expected that the judgement of the governing body will be taken as final by both parties in either instance.