Regulations / By-Laws are a set of rules that govern the internal operations of your club. They are typically created by the board of directors, Club Management Committee or governing body and provide detailed guidance on how the a Club or Branch will be run. Regulations often cover topics such as the a Club or Branch’s purpose, structure, membership, meetings, elections, and decision-making processes.
Our Club should have regulations/by-laws because:
- A legal requirement and ensure the club is abiding by particular laws and regulations outlined
- Provide a clear framework for the clubs governance and decision-making processes.
- Helps define the roles and responsibilities of the directors/ officers to ensure that the club is run in a transparent and accountable manner.
- A Consistent set of rules and procedures for the your clubs operation, which can help to ensure that decisions are made in a fair and equitable manner.
- Flexibility: Bylaws can be customised to suit the specific needs and circumstances of the your club. They can be amended over time as the Club or Branch needs and circumstances change.
- A clear and concise guide to the Clubs operation and can help to avoid confusion and misunderstandings among directors, officers, and other stakeholders.
What your Regulations should include:
| Name / Purpose | Clearly state the name of the Club or Branch and its purpose or mission |
| Membership | Outline the qualifications for memberships, the rights and responsibilities of members, and the process for joining and leaving the Club or Branch |
| Board of Directors | Specify the number of directors, qualifications, their duties and responsibilities |
| Amendments | Process for amending the regulations, including the required procedures for proposing and approving amendments |
| Office Bearers | The regulations should describe the roles and responsibilities of Office-Bearers |
| Meetings | Guidelines for holding meetings, including the frequency of meetings, notice requirements and the quorum necessary for voting requirements |
| Committees / Panels | Process for creating committees/panels, the responsibility of each committee/panel and the process for appointing committee/panel members |
| Judiciary | Include provisions outlining the process for discontinuation of affiliations or memberships |
| Finance | Guidelines for managing the Club or Branch’s finances, including the process for creating a budget, approving expenditures, and conducting audits |
| Creation of special committees and panels | Process for creating a special purpose committee/panel that isn’t included in the regulations |
| Legal Compliance | Ensure that the Club or Branch operates in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including any requirements for non-profit Club or Branches |
| Club Tip For meeting frequency in your regulations, you can use wording as ‘The INSERT COMMITTEE/PANEL NAME HERE will meet quarterly’ or a minimum of X times per year |
What your Regulations shouldn’t include:
Regulations should not include everything that was outline under what not to include in your constitution but also:
| Provisions that contradict the Club or Branch’s constitution | should not include provisions that contradict or conflict with the a Club or Branch’s constitution. |
Revision:
12
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