The name of the Association shall be the Business House Netball Association hereinafter referred to as the Association.
To promote, foster and develop the playing of netball among employees of Business Houses.
To encourage the growth of netball as a sport for women in Business Houses and in so doing, provide an opportunity for improved physical health and welfare.
To contribute to national and international goodwill, understanding and sportsmanship.
To be in accordance with the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Jamaica Netball Association, hereinafter referred to as the J.N.A.
Membership open to any company comprising permanent or temporary employees as described in Article 29(b) of this Constitution.
Honorary Life Membership may be conferred upon a person who has rendered long and exceptional service as a council member to the Association.
Co-opt members do not have any rights.
Direct membership may be granted to a person
All applications for membership shall be in writing to the Honorary Secretary of the Association.
The acceptance of such applications shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Association whose decision shall be final.
Each applicant shall submit with its application a list of its members and the names and addresses of its officers.
Every member shall keep the Honorary Secretary informed of the names and addresses of its officers.
To ensure election, each application must receive the affirmative vote of 75% of the total voting strength of the Executive Committee.
Notices of intention to resign must be sent in writing to the Honorary Secretary of the Association before the end of the Financial Year of the Association. The resignation shall take effect at the closing date of the Financial Year up to which time the affiliation fee shall be paid.
Former members wishing to rejoin and being accepted shall pay an entrance fee of the current affiliation fee together with the rejoining fee for the current year.
The Executive Committee shall have power to remove from membership of the Association any individual or Company whose conduct is deemed to be inimical or detrimental to the welfare of the Association, by the affirmative vote of 75% of the total voting strength of the Executive Committee.
The supreme authority of the Association shall be vested in any General Meeting of the Association.
The Management of the Association shall be vested in the Executive Committee.
The Officers of the Association shall be members of Companies affiliated to the Association and shall be the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer and any other officers which the Association shall deem necessary from time to time.
However, in the interest of continuity, if a current member serving on the Executive Committee has to resign because of downsizing/merger or separation of the Company she/he represents, that member can be allowed to continue serving until the end of term.
They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
All nominations must be proposed and seconded by persons entitled to vote. The consent of all nominees shall be obtained before the meeting.
Officers shall be elected for two years only and shall be eligible for re-election.
Officers shall serve from the close of the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected to the close of the Annual General Meeting at the end of the term.
Where there is more than one candidate for any of the offices of President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer the election shall be by ballot.
To become a President of the Association, the candidate must be female and have served at least one term on the Executive Committee prior to the nomination.
The Honorary Secretary shall keep a roll of all affiliated members.
Give Notice of all meetings in accordance with these rules and regulations.
Conduct all general correspondence and keep copies of such correspondence.
Keep all minutes of General Meetings of the Association and of meetings of the Executive Committee.
Keep proper books of account.
Pay all accounts approved by the General Meeting or by the Executive Committee.
Report the state of Finances as required by the General Meeting or by the Executive Committee.
Present a Balance Sheet and complete audited statement of accounts at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The President shall be the Chairman at the meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee. In her absence, and in the absence of the Vice-President, the meeting and/or Executive Committee shall elect its own Chairman who shall be a member of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall consist of:
The Executive Committee shall have the following powers:
To carry out the Aims and Objectives of the Association as regards all administrative details, but matters of policy shall be referred to the General Meeting of the Association for final decision.
To manage and control the finances of the Association.
To grant affiliation to members.
To control all competitions and tournaments.
To inflict penalties on Members, Officers and persons for any infringement of these Rules and Regulations.
To delegate such powers as it may deem advisable to its duly appointed representatives of sub-committees.
To appoint from among members of the Association, such sub-committees as it may deem advisable from time to time to carry out its duties.
To enlist for co-option for any special purposes the services of any person or persons.
To grant transfers to representative members moving from one Company to another.
To make Bye-Laws.
To prepare and submit all notices of meetings, reports and statements as required in these Rules and Regulations.
To fill any vacancy, except that of the President, among the Officers of the Association in its body or in any of its sub-committees from among members of the Association.
If any matter occurs which in the opinion of the Executive Committee is not provided for in these Rules and Regulations it shall be determined by the Executive Committee as may be deemed expedient.
Any member of the Executive Committee, who shall absent herself/himself from two consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee without leave of absence or written explanation to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee, shall be deemed to have vacated office.
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at least once every month during the playing season and shall be held at least once every three months outside the playing season and shall be called by the President or at the request of at least four members of the Executive Committee.
The Honorary Secretary shall give at least four days' notice in writing for all such meetings.
Two delegates shall represent each member Company. The written appointment of delegates shall be lodged with the Honorary Secretary on or before the date of the meeting.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be fixed by the Executive Committee for a date in the month of April.
The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
A special General Meeting of the Association may be called by the Executive Committee upon its own motion or shall be called on receipt of a requisition signed by two Officers of not less than five member companies setting forth the object of such a meeting.
Special Business shall be:
At any meeting of the Association the Quorum shall be 51% of the total voting strength of the Association.
A notice of the General Meeting shall be posted to the Honorary Secretary of all affiliated Companies at least one month prior to the date fixed for such meeting, and at least 21 days prior to the date fixed for a Special General Meeting. Such notice shall specify the day, time, place and the nature of the business of the meeting. The accidental omission to give such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of any General Meeting.
Motions concerning any business which any member Companies or the Executive Committee wishes to be considered at any General Meeting shall be sent to reach the Honorary Secretary of the Association at least 21 days before the meeting, provided that other business may be brought forward without notice if two-thirds of the voting power of the meeting is in favour; such business shall not include alterations to these Rules and Regulations.
The Honorary Secretary shall cause a copy of each motion to be circulated to all members within 72 hours of receipt of such notice.
In the case of equality in voting the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote in addition to any vote she may be entitled to exercise.
All ordinary business at the General Meeting shall be decided by a simple majority or show of hands of those present and entitled to vote, or by ballot if called for, but all special businesses as defined in Article 18 shall be decided by a two-thirds majority of the voting strength of the meeting properly recorded by a show of hands or by a ballot as required by the meeting, except where otherwise specified in these Rules and Regulations.
Any individual who is a member of an affiliated Company may attend General Meetings of the Association, but may not vote if she/he is not entitled to vote.
Any individual entitled to a vote may move a motion and shall be entitled to speak on it before it is seconded. If after such speech the motion is not seconded, it shall be deemed rejected by the meeting.
Any motion standing in the name of the Executive Committee need not be seconded and members of the Executive Committee shall speak first on such motions.
Except with the permission of the Executive Committee no motion lost or rejected at any General Meeting may be brought up again until after the expiration of six months.
A motion to rescind a resolution passed at a previous General Meeting must be circulated on the Agenda and shall be carried by two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.
If within thirty minutes from the time appointed for a General Meeting the quorum of members is not present, the meeting if convened on the requisition of members shall be dissolved; in any other cases it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the following week at the same time and place, and if at the adjourned meeting the quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the time appointed, the members present and entitled to vote shall form a quorum.
These shall be paid into a Bank Account (interest-bearing, if possible), the account to be known as “The Business House Netball Association”.
The signature of the Treasurer or President along with one other Officer shall be the authority for withdrawal of funds from the bank account of the Association.
The affiliation fee shall be determined by the Executive Committee from time to time.
All affiliation fees shall be due on January 1. Affiliation fees shall be sent to reach the Treasurer by January 31, in each year.
In the event of a member failing to send its fees by the required date, a reminder shall be sent. If the fee of any member is not received by AGM-April that member shall no longer be considered a member of the Association.
The Financial Year shall close on December 31 in each year.
The address of the Association shall be P.O. Box 254, Kingston 8.
An annual competition shall be run at a time to be determined by the Executive Committee.
To qualify for participation, a player must either be: -
All Business Houses shall register details of their colours and uniforms with the Honorary Secretary or Assistant Secretary. No company may wear the gold and black colours of the Jamaica National Team.
Each Company participating in any competition shall supply or arrange to supply one umpire holding the minimum qualification of the Jamaica Netball Association.
Each team shall be responsible for the traveling and other expenses of the umpire.
For Senior League, quarter final, semi-final and final matches, the organizers of the competition shall appoint neutral umpires who shall hold a minimum qualification of the Jamaica Netball Association Grade "A" Preliminary Award for Umpires.
All matches shall be played under the Code of Rules approved by J.N.A.
The Executive Committee is empowered to make Bye-Laws as are deemed necessary from time to time.
All Bye-Laws shall come into operation as soon as made and shall until revoked, be binding on all members as if they were contained in the Constitution, and ignorance of them may not be pleaded as an excuse for infraction.
All Bye-Laws may be disallowed, revoked or otherwise dealt with at a General Meeting of the Association.
The Association shall not be dissolved unless all liabilities have been discharged and a motion shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of the votes recorded at a General Meeting convened for the purpose.
Upon the dissolution any surplus money remaining after payment of all liabilities shall be disbursed at the General Meeting and a majority vote shall decide.
The President and Honorary Secretary of the Association shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees, but shall not, unless specifically appointed as members of the sub-committee, be entitled to vote.
Any amendment to the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Association may be proposed by a member Company or by the Executive Committee.
Amendments may be made to the Constitution at any General Meeting of the Association by a two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.
Bye-Laws may be amended by a simple majority decision.
Notice of proposed amendments must be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least 21 days prior to the General Meeting.
Any alterations so made shall take effect immediately unless the meeting shall by a majority decides otherwise.
The rules and regulations of the Association for the time being in force, and the decision of the Executive Committee on all doubtful and disputed points arising in connection therewith, shall be binding on all members.
Any rule, Bye-Laws or regulation of an affiliated member Company that is in conflict with these rules and regulations shall be inoperative.
In case of difference in opinion as to the meaning of these rules and regulations, the Executive Committee shall interpret the rules and regulations.
No act, matter or thing done by the Executive Committee, or any sub-committee or persons acting under the power delegated to them by the General Meeting or the Executive Committee shall be deemed to be invalidated by reason only of an inadvertent irregularity in appointment.
The Executive Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend, accept the resignation of, expel or cancel the affiliation of any individual, Company or team which may neglect or refuse a strict and honourable compliance with the rules and regulations of the Association, or may by conduct bring reproach or disgrace upon the Association.
In all cases of alleged misconduct by individual players, officials, Companies while under the control of the Association, the Executive Committee may hold any inquiry, and if necessary impose such penalty as it may deem fit, provided however, that the penalty of disqualification or expulsion must be confirmed by the affirmative vote of 75% of the total voting strength of the Executive Committee.
There shall be a right of appeal against any decision on any matter whatsoever of the Executive Committee.
Any such appeal shall be heard by an Appeal Committee of five persons appointed by the Executive Committee from persons who are not members of the same Company as the appellant or members of the Executive Committee. The decision of the Appeal Committee shall be deemed to be the decision of the Executive Committee and shall be final.
The Appeal Committee shall hear the appeal at such place and time and in such manner as the Appeal Committee shall decide.
Pending the decision of any appeal, all penalties imposed shall be operative unless otherwise directed by the Executive Committee.
The Officers of the Association shall be the Trustees of the Association.
Any Company planning to travel overseas or to invite teams from abroad to play Netball MUST first obtain permission from the Association at least two months prior to the proposed tour.
Every member of the Executive Committee shall be indemnified by the Association against all costs and losses for which she/he may become liable by reason or any act or thing done by her/him in the discharge of any duty performed for and with the authority of the Association or the Executive Committee.
Any matters not provided for in these rules and regulations shall be decided by the Executive Committee subject to ratification by a General Meeting shall decide regulations.
25th April, 2005