Club policies

No rule, by-law or amendment of this constitution may be at variance with the constitution of the respective League, Association, or Junior Council / Association that represents the governing body covering such competitions that teams from the Swan View Football Club - Junior / Senior - Incorporated are participating in.

Any matter not covered within this constitution to be subject to the Rules and Regulations of the respective governing body.

Prepared by Anthony Michael Cuccaro, President, Swan View Football Club - Junior / Senior Incorporated, 28 October 2013 · Amended, adopted at AGM 28 October 2015 · Amended, adopted at SGM 21 July 2016 · Amended, adopted at AGM 9 November 2017 · Amended, adopted at AGM 18 October 2018

1. NAME

1. 1.1

   Swan View Football Club - Junior / Senior Incorporated (the Club) shall be the official name of the Club.

2. COLOURS

1. 2.2

   Maroon and Light Blue with Gold numerals.

3. EMBLEM

1. 3.1

   The emblem of the Club shall be that of a Swan.

4. OBJECTIVES

1. 4.1

   To promote and foster the game of Australian Rules Football at Junior level within the various age groups provided for or decided upon by the governing District Junior Council / Association and to provide an ongoing avenue for members to continue to play for the Club at a Senior level in such competition as determined by the Club Committee.

2. 4.2

   To borrow, raise or generate the payment of money for the purpose of the Club in such a manner as the management and members determine.

3. 4.3

   To provide accommodation for the members thereof and their guests upon the premises of which the Club is the bona fide occupier and not for the purpose of making profit divisible among the members.

4. 4.4

   To apply for, obtain and renew from time to time a Club Restricted License under the Liquor Control Act 1988.

5. PRINCIPLES

1. 5.1

   Recognise loyalty to the Club at all times where it is compatible with playing ability and/or administrative ability and performance.

2. 5.2

   To be of non-political, and non-sectarian, non-sexist and non-racist character.

6. CLUB MANAGEMENT

The management of the Club shall be vested in:-

1. 6.1

   The Office Bearers (Executive) of the Club shall consist of a President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

2. 6.2

   The management of the Club shall be vested in a Management Committee comprising:

   1. (i)

      The President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

   2. (ii)

      Maximum of ten (10) members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

3. 6.3

   Additional members may be approved by the management committee as appropriate.

4. 6.4

   The Management Committee may appoint representatives or delegates to affiliated organisation as required or as deemed appropriate.

5. 6.5

   The signatories to any Club Accounts shall be the President, Secretary and Treasurer with at least two of those members to sign at any one time. Additional persons may be appointed as a signatory as determined at a meeting of the Management Committee.

6. 6.6

   The Members may elect a Patron and up to two (2) Vice Patrons at the Annual General Meeting.

7. 6.7

   Any person appointed to the Management Committee or a position as stated in the Constitution, must be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

8. 6.8

   Sub-committee shall be formed as determined by the Executive to assist in the organising / running of social / fundraising, coaching and maintenance activities of the Club.

9. 6.9

   Any activity associated with the Club or carried out under the Club banner must be approved by the Management Committee prior to that activity-taking place.

10. 6.10

    Any articles including clothing and personal items associated with the Club or under the Club banner must be approved by the Committee prior to that article being ordered.

7. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS

1. 7.1

   The officers of the Club may be removed by a seventy five percent (75%) majority of registered Playing, and Life members present and voting at a Special General Meeting.

8. MEMBERS

1. 8.1

   The members shall be divided into the following classes:

   1. (i)

      Playing Member

   2. (ii)

      Non Playing (Social) Member

   3. (iii)

      Honorary Member

   4. (iv)

      Life Member

   5. (v)

      Junior Member

2. 8.2

   Playing Members

   1. (i)

      Any person entitled to enjoy full Club privileges that are fully financial and not under suspension. Playing Members are entitled to play in Club teams.

   2. (ii)

      Playing Members are entitled to vote at any General Meeting.

   3. (iii)

      The Playing Members fee and date that payment must be made, shall be set by the Management Committee at the first Management Meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

3. 8.3

   Non-Playing (Social) Members

   1. (i)

      Any person entitled to enjoy full Club facilities that are fully financial and not under suspension. Non Playing members are not entitled to play in Club teams, however can convert to Playing member on payment of the additional fee.

   2. (ii)

      Non-Playing (Social) Members are entitled to vote at any General Meeting.

   3. (iii)

      The Non Playing (Social) Members fee, shall be set by the Management Committee at the first Management Meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

4. 8.4

   Honorary Members

   1. (i)

      Shall be those whose usual place or residence is situated not less than 100 kilometres from the Club premises and who have been elected by the authority of any two (2) members of the Committee. No person shall be so elected who was afforded the privileges of the Club as an Honorary member at any time within three (3) months immediately preceding or who is a juvenile.

   2. (ii)

      Any person may be elected as an Honorary Member for such period as the Committee may determine who possesses any of the special qualifications hereunder mentioned namely:

      1. (i)

         The Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia or any member of the staff.

      2. (ii)

         The Governor or Lieutenant Governor or Administrator of any State of the Commonwealth of Australia or any member of his staff.

      3. (iii)

         Any member of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.

      4. (iv)

         Any Member of the Shire Council or its Executive Officers.

      5. (v)

         Persons of distinguished position or attainment.

      6. (vi)

         Any member of an International or Interstate sporting team.

      7. (vii)

         Officers of the Federal and State Executive of bodies controlling the management of sport of any affiliated sporting division.

      8. (viii)

         Members who are entitled to exercise such of the privileges of the Club as may be provided by its Rules with the proviso that they will not be eligible to vote or hold office

5. 8.5

   Life Members

   1. (i)

      The Management committee may nominate a member for Life Membership in consideration of special services rendered to the Club, such nomination is to be brought before a General meeting of members who alone shall have the power to elect Life Members on the recommendation of the Management committee.

   2. (ii)

      Life Members are entitled to vote at any General Meeting.

   3. (iii)

      A Life Member is deemed to be financial.

6. 8.6

   Junior Members

   1. (i)

      Any person under the age of 18 years may make application for admission to the Club as a Junior Member.

   2. (ii)

      A Junior Member shall have no voice in the management of the Club and shall not be entitled to hold office, vote at any General Meetings or vote at any poll of the Club, but shall in other respects conform to and be bound by these Rules and By-laws of the Club for the time being in force.

   3. (iii)

      A maximum of two (2) parents or guardian are entitled to enjoy full Club privileges, including voting rights at any General Meeting, providing that the Junior player is under the age of 18 years and that the Junior player is fully financial and not under suspension.

   4. (iv)

      A Junior player shall mean AusKick (including Pre Primary, Year 1 & Year 2), Year 3 to Year 12 and Colts players under the age of 18 years.

   5. (v)

      The Junior playing fee and date that payment must be made, shall be set by the Management Committee at the first Management Committee Meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

7. 8.7

   Election of Members

   The Management Committee has the total discretion to either accept or reject an application to become a member of the club.

8. 8.8

   Temporary Members

   1. (i)

      A person who is on any day visiting a club (the “Host Club”) as a member or an official of another club - that is to engage in a pre-arranged event with the host club conducted for the purposes of one of the host club’s principal objects; or

   2. (ii)

      That is to hold a pre-arranged function at the host club involving the use of the host club’s sporting facilities, may, for the purposes of this Act, be taken to be a person who is accorded temporary membership of the host club on that day in accordance with rules approved by the Director”.

9. 8.9

   Membership is valid from 1st April until 31st March each year.

9. DUTIES OF OFFICIALS

1. 9.1

   President.

   The President shall:

   1. (i)

      Preside at all Meetings and ensure that the business is conducted in a proper manner.

   2. (ii)

      The presiding Chairperson shall have the right to vote only in the instance of equality of votes cast at a meeting.

   3. (iii)

      Act in the best interest of the Club, when making ad hoc decisions.

   4. (iv)

      Be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

2. 9.2

   Vice President (Junior & Senior).

   The Vice President shall:

   1. (i)

      Attend All Meetings and shall act in the absence of the President and perform those duties as though he/she were the President.

   2. (ii)

      Act as Returning Officer for the Election of Officers at each Annual General Meeting

   3. (iii)

      Be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

3. 9.3

   Secretary.

   The Secretary shall:

   1. (i)

      Attend All Meetings and take minutes, receive, reply to all correspondence and present all correspondence to the meeting.

   2. (ii)

      Answer such questions as may be asked in accordance with the rules.

   3. (iii)

      Keep an up to date register of members in respect of each class of membership. The register must be continually available for inspection at the club premises.

   4. (iv)

      Have the right to speak and vote at all meetings of the Club.

   5. (v)

      Call Committee Meetings in cases of emergency to ensure the wellbeing and objects of the Club.

   6. (vi)

      On written requisition of not less than fifteen (15) persons of the Playing, Non Playing and Life Members, call a Special General Meeting to discuss the business contained in such requisition.

   7. (vii)

      Be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

4. 9.4

   Treasurer.

   The Treasurer shall:

   1. (i)

      Be responsible for the maintenance of all Club funds.

   2. (ii)

      Receive and pay all monies belonging to the Club into such Bank(s) approved by the Management Committee.

   3. (iii)

      Balance the Club accounts prior to the Annual Audit or when required by the Committee.

   4. (iv)

      Prepare an Audited Statement of receipts and payments to be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

   5. (v)

      Present to each meeting of the Management Committee a Financial Statement showing the financial position of the Club at the date of that meeting.

   6. (vi)

      Prepare an annual budget for the club within 2 months of the Annual General Meeting, for adoption by the Management Committee.

   7. (vii)

      Be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

5. 9.5

   Coaches Coordinator.

   1. (i)

      Shall be responsible for activities of Coaches and Managers and for the standards of coaching.

   2. (ii)

      Will be responsible for convening regular Coaches, Managers meetings.

   3. (iii)

      Any person appointed to the position of Coaches Coordinator must be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

6. 9.6

   Registrar / Statistician (Junior & Senior).

   1. (i)

      Shall keep a complete list of all eligible players respectively for Junior and Senior grades in consultation with team managers, and ensure they are registered with the respective League / Association / Council covering competitions in which the Club has teams participating.

   2. (ii)

      Shall keep all statistics as required by the Club.

   3. (iii)

      Shall collect registrations fees and request assistance of the Coach, Team Managers or other Committee Members were need be.

   4. (iv)

      Any person appointed to the position of Registrar / Statistician is a financial member of the Club and remains financial during that year.

7. 9.7

   Delegate / Delegates (Junior & Senior).

   1. (i)

      Shall represent the Club at all League / Association Council meeting where the Club has teams registered, and shall present to their meetings such things as instructed by the Committee.

   2. (ii)

      Shall be appointed from within the Management Committee.

   3. (iii)

      The appointed Delegate must report to the next Management Committee meeting including issues that will affect the Club.

   4. (viii)

      Any person appointed to the position of Delegate be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

8. 9.8

   Coaches.

   1. (i)

      Shall carry out the prime objectives of the Club; and shall be directly responsible to the Management Committee for their actions concerning Club policy.

   2. (ii)

      The Management Committee is also to ensure that selection of Coaches allows time for pre-season preparation. Coaches are to be appointed by the Management Committee.

   3. (iii)

      The Management Committee shall appoint the coach or joint coaches to whom the Management Committee may make such payments as considered necessary.

   4. (iv)

      Any person appointed to the position of Coach be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year, unless paid as an employee of the Club. The only exception will be if that position is a paid position.

9. 9.9

   Managers.

   1. (i)

      Shall perform the necessary Administrative and financial duties as required by the Management Committee and assist the Team Coaches as necessary.

   2. (ii)

      Any person appointed to the position of Manager be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

10. 9.10

    Social Sub-Committee.

    1. (i)

       Shall be responsible for fundraising and Social activities of the Club as approved by the Committee.

    2. (ii)

       Any person appointed to the position on the Social Sub-Committee be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

11. 9.11

    Canteen Coordinator

    1. (i)

       Shall be responsible for the overview of the Canteen Manager.

    2. (ii)

       Shall give clear instructions to the Canteen Manager and Canteen Helpers (paid or unpaid) on their performance and purchasing.

    3. (iii)

       Any person appointed to the position of Canteen Coordinator be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year, unless paid as an employee of the Club.

12. 9.12

    Canteen Manager

    1. (i)

       Shall be responsible for the operational and financial aspects of the Club Canteen.

    2. (ii)

       The Canteen Manager will perform duties as instructed by the Canteen Coordinator and Management Committee.

    3. (iii)

       The Canteen Manager may be paid as determined by the Management Committee.

    4. (iv)

       Any person appointed to the position of Canteen Manager be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year, unless paid as an employee of the Club. The only exception will be if that position is a paid position.

13. 9.13

    Trainers.

    1. (i)

       Shall be responsible for the initial treatment of injuries sustained by players during matches or at training

    2. (ii)

       The Trainer and/or Head Trainer in the event of than one person will be responsible for the purchase and maintenance of medical supplies.

    3. (iii)

       The Trainer (s) may be paid as determined by the Management Committee.

    4. (iv)

       Any person appointed to the position of Trainers be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year, unless paid as an employee of the Club. The only exception will be if that position is a paid position.

14. 9.14

    Bar Manager

    1. (i)

       Shall be responsible for the operational and financial determined by the committee on all aspects of the club percentage bar facilities.

    2. (ii)

       Shall be an Approved Manager in accordance with the Liquor Control Act 1988

    3. (iii)

       Shall ensure that suitable training has been obtained for themselves and any other persons working in the Bar in accordance with the requirements of the Liquor Control Act 1988.

    4. (iii)

       The Bar Manager may be paid as determined by the Management Committee.

    5. (iv)

       Any person appointed to the position of Bar Manager be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year, unless paid as an employee of the Club. The only exception will be if that position is a paid position.

10. AUDITOR

1. 10.1

   The Auditor shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall examine the books, accounts, receipts, vouchers, etc. and the Statement of receipts and Payments prepared by the Treasurer and shall furnish a report to the Annual General Meeting. The Auditor shall be eligible for re-election.

11. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

1. 11.1

   The Management Committee shall control the affairs and property of the Club, and shall at all times promote the interests of the Club. It may appoint Sub- Committees and for that purpose may co-opt any Club members not on the Management Committee, provided that a member of the Management Committee shall be Chairman, of such Sub-Committee. The President and Secretary shall have the right to sit on all Sub-Committees, ex officio. The reports of Sub- Committees shall be subject to the approval of the Management Committee. The Management Committee may by a two third majority, cancel the appointment of those appointed under Clause 12.

2. 11.2

   Any person appointed to the position on the Management Committee be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

12. VACANCIES

1. 12.1

   Any members of the Management Committee who absent themselves without leave from three (3) consecutive properly notified meetings shall be deemed to have vacated their office. The Management Committee shall have power to fill all vacancies from any cause whatsoever and members so elected shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

13. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. 13.1

   Shall be held each year no later than two months from the end of the Football Club’s season at a date to be fixed by the Committee.

2. 13.2

   The end of the Football Club’s season shall mean either;

   1. (i)

      The last Seniors game, qualifying home and away games or finals, whichever is the last or;

   2. (ii)

      Where there is no Seniors Team, the 30th September each year.

3. 13.3

   Failing a quorum, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the same day and hour in the following week, and so on, until the requisite number shall be present. Any Playing, Non Playing (Social) and Life Member over eighteen (18) years of age on the 30th June immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting and who is financial prior to the Annual General Meeting shall be entitled to vote.

4. 13.4

   Order of Business for Annual General Meeting: The President or Chairman as the case may be, shall declare the meeting open at the appointed time and the following order of business shall be observed:

   1. (i)

      Apologies

   2. (ii)

      Minutes of previous Annual General Meeting

   3. (iii)

      President’s Report

   4. (iv)

      Auditor’s Report

   5. (v)

      Election of Office Bearers & Officers

   6. (vi)

      Election of Patron & Vice Patrons

   7. (vii)

      Election of Club Auditor

   8. (viii)

      Motions by Notice

   9. (ix)

      Notices of Motion

   10. (x)

       General Business

   The newly elected officers shall take office immediately after their election. No motion may be proposed at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof in writing has been received by the Secretary at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting. No person may be elected to office unless he or she is present at the meeting or alternatively a signed acceptance or nomination by that person is in the hands of the Secretary prior to the commencement of the meeting.

5. 13.5

   All members of the Club must be financial by the date specified by the Management Committee when setting the fees to be entitled to vote at any General Meeting.

14. ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS AND OFFICERS

1. 14.1

   Each candidate must be a financial Playing Member, Non-Playing (Social) Member, Life Member or Junior Member parent/guardian (as defined under section 8.6 (iii)) and shall signify his/her willingness to act in the event of election.

2. 14.2

   Voting for the purpose of electing office bearers and officers at Annual General Meetings, shall be by ballot or a show of hands as determined by the meeting.

3. 14.3

   Any position not filled at the Annual General Meeting may be filled by resolution of the Management Committee elected at the Annual General meeting.

15. MEETING PROCEDURE

1. 15.1

   No Annual General Meeting or General Meeting may proceed until a quorum of fifteen (15) of the registered voting members is present. No Management Committee Meeting may proceed until a quorum of five (5) is present.

   A quorum must remain present throughout all meetings. Should a quorum not attend within fifteen minutes of the advertised time for a meeting, the meeting shall lapse.

2. 15.2

   At a General Meeting the President or in his/her absence the Senior Vice President shall take the chair. Should the Senior Vice President be absent, the Junior Vice President shall take the chair. Should these officers be absent, the meeting shall then elect a Chairperson.

3. 15.3

   The President will call speakers to a substantive motion in the following order:

   1. (i)

      The mover to state the motion;

   2. (ii)

      A seconder to the motion;

   3. (iii)

      The mover to speak to the motion;

   4. (iv)

      The seconder to speak to the motion;

   5. (v)

      A speaker against the motion;

   6. (vi)

      A speaker for the motion;

   7. (vii)

      Other speakers against and for the motion, alternating in view, if any;

   8. (viii)

      Mover takes right of reply, which closes debate.

4. 15.4

   A member shall not speak upon any motion or amendment or in reply for a period longer than five (5) minutes without the consent of the meeting, which shall be signified without debate by a simple majority of members present

5. 15.5

   An extension under 15.4 shall not be permitted beyond a further period of five (5) minutes.

6. 15.6

   No member shall be allowed to speak more than once on any motion or amendment under discussion, other than to strictly correct or contradict a mis-statement, except the mover of the original motion, who shall have the right to reply.

7. 15.7

   Members shall confine their remarks strictly to the subject under discussion and refrain from discourteous remarks or personalities. Any member feeling dissatisfied with the ruling of the Chair may appeal to members present, proving the appeal is seconded and, in the case of appeal from the ruling of the Chair, the question will be as follows - "Will the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the Club?"

8. 15.8

   Should more than one member rise at the same time, it will be the duty of the Chairperson to decide who shall speak first. His decision shall be final.

9. 15.9

   Every motion and also every amendment shall require a proposer and a seconder. No member shall vote upon a motion unless present when the question is put. When an amendment or any motion has been proposed and seconded, no other amendment or motion shall be proposed until the former has been disposed of.

10. 15.10

    The proposer of the motion shall have the right to reply immediately before the final vote of any amendment if he / she has not already spoken on that amendment. No member may have more than one amendment but any member who has spoken during the discussion on amendments may subsequently move an amendment.

11. 15.11

    No member under suspension shall be eligible to vote at any meeting of the Club and shall not be permitted to speak unless called upon by the Chairperson.

12. 15.12

    All motions shall require a simple majority of members voting. Votes on motions or amendments shall be taken by show of hands, but any member may demand a division at which time tellers shall be appointed by the Chairperson.

13. 15.13

    When a Motion has been moved and seconded any person shall be at liberty to move an amendment thereon, which shall not be discussed until it has been seconded.

14. 15.14

    No other amendment shall be proposed until the former amendment is disposed of; accordingly as each amendment is affirmed or negated; the motion in its amended or original form shall become the substantive motion before the meeting.

15. 15.15

    When any General Meeting lapses for want of a quorum the Secretary shall convene a second meeting within a period of fourteen (14) days, when the business may be transacted. Should this second General Meeting lapse for want of a quorum, no further meeting on that motion shall be called.

16. 15.16

    When any Annual General Meeting lapses for want of a quorum, the Honorary Secretary shall convene an Annual General Meeting each fortnight until a quorum is present.

16. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS

1. 16.1

   Meetings of the Management Committee shall be held at least once each month but the President and Secretary shall have power to call meetings of the Committee when deemed necessary.

2. 16.2

   The President or Chairman as the case may be shall declare the meeting open at the appointed time and the following order of business shall be observed:

   1. (i)

      Apologies.

   2. (ii)

      Consideration and confirmation of minutes of the previous meeting.

   3. (iii)

      Business Arising from Previous Minutes.

   4. (iv)

      Correspondence.

   5. (v)

      Business Arising from Correspondence.

   6. (vi)

      President’s Report.

   7. (vii)

      Finance Report.

   8. (viii)

      Other Reports.

   9. (ix)

      Discussion of business of which notice of motions has been given.

   10. (x)

       Notices of Motions.

   11. (xi)

       General Business.

17. QUORUM

1. 17.1

   At the Annual General Meeting and all Special General Meetings, fifteen (15) persons of Playing, Non Playing (Social), Life Member or Junior Member parent/guardian (as defined under section 8.6 (iii)) shall constitute a quorum. At all meetings of the Management Committee five (5) members shall constitute a quorum.

2. 17.2

   In the absence of the President and the Vice Presidents, those members present shall elect a Chairman for that meeting.

18. PROXIES

1. 18.1

   Voting by proxy shall not be permitted at any General Meeting, or Management Committee meetings.

19. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

1. 19.1

   Upon receipt of a request signed by not less than fifteen (15) persons of Playing, or Life members of the Club, setting forth the objects of such meeting, or on the instruction of the Management Committee, the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting. In the absence of a quorum, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the same day and hour in the following week. In the absence of a quorum for the second meeting, no further meeting shall be called during that year to discuss the subject..

20. BUSINESS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

1. 20.1

   To decide issues for which the General meeting has been called. No other issues will be discussed at such meetings.

21. NOTICE OF MEETING

1. 21.1

   The Secretary shall give all members of the Club at least fourteen (14) days’ notice of and Annual General Meeting or General Meetings by using an appropriate method of communication as resolved by the Management Committee. For Management Committee meetings at least three (3) days' notice shall be given to each member of the Management Committee.

22. CHAIRMAN'S VOTE

1. 22.1

   At an Annual General Meeting or General Meeting the Chairman may vote as a member and in addition shall have a casting vote. At meetings of the Management Committee the Chairman may vote as a member thereof, but in the case of equality of votes the motion shall be lost.

23. SUBSCRIPTIONS

1. 23.1

   The annual subscription fee for all classes of membership of the Club shall be fixed by the Management Committee at the first Management Committee meeting after the Annual General Meeting.

2. 23.2

   All Players must be financial by the end of the fourth (4) weeks after their first official game played. Players not financial at this point are ineligible to play. Managers shall be responsible for the collection of fees and shall inform the coach of the ineligibility of such players to take part in any game until financial. A scale of pro-rata fees shall apply as determined by the Management Committee.

3. 23.3

   Non Playing (Social Member) fees must be paid by the 30th June for the members to be deemed financial for that financial year.

4. 23.4

   The Management Committee may waive subscription fees of any member who shows sufficient cause of hardship.

24. COACHES AND MANAGERS (Junior & Senior)

1. 24.1

   1. (i)

      Club Coaches and Team Managers are to act in accordance with the Management Committee’s instructions and the current Club policy. They are required to report to the Coaching Coordinator when called upon to do so.

   2. (ii)

      The outgoing Management Committee will start the process of selection of all Coaches with the understanding that the incoming Management Committee will appoint these Coaches if acceptable by the Management Committee.

   3. (iii)

      The Management Committee is also to ensure that selection of Coaches allows time for pre-season preparation. Coaches are to be appointed by the incoming Committee.

   4. (iv)

      Coaches of Junior grades are also required to act within the respective Junior Council Association or League guidelines.

   5. (v)

      All Coaches and Assistance Coaches must obtain and maintain the appropriate minimum Accreditation level required by the League/Association and must remain in force during the duration of the appointment.

25. GENERAL CLUB RULES

1. 25.1

   All office bearers, coaches and managers must be a financial member of the Club and remain financial during that year.

2. 25.2

   The Club policy on team formation is that priority is to be given to recruiting players from out of Junior grades and the local area for teams playing in Senior grades.

   For teams in Junior grades all players must play in their age group. Where there are two (2) teams in one age group the deciding factor shall be the “even up rule” in accordance with the Club Policy and/or the governing body ruling.

   Should it be considered that a player is capable of playing in a stronger competition or older age group they may do so providing they have:-

   1. (a)

      Parental consent

   2. (b)

      Consent of Coaches concerned, and

   3. (c)

      Management Committee approval.

   A parent who considers he has extenuating circumstances for their child playing out of their age group may approach the Management Committee for a decision. The Management Committee’s decision will be final.

3. 25.3

   In Junior grades the team coach is to ensure that each player under their control is given equal opportunity of playing in as many games as possible during the season in conjunction with the Club’s “Time on Ground and Participation Policy”.

4. 25.4

   The Club is to allocate trophies on the following basis:-

   1. (i)

      Senior / Colts / Year’s 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 a maximum of five (5) trophies per team:-

      • Fairest and Best

      • Runner Up Fairest and Best

      The remaining trophies to be distributed at the discretion of the Coach and Team Manager of each team, subject to their decision being within the Club guidelines. No other trophies will be awarded by the Club.

   2. (ii)

      Teams participating in AusKick, Year’s 3 / 4 / 5/ 6 competition where modified rules apply will not be awarded Trophies; each member will instead be awarded a Team Member memento the style of which will be decided upon by the Management Committee.

   3. (iii)

      Only Members of winning grand final teams shall be awarded a suitable memento of the occasion. The style of the memento to be decided upon by the Management Committee.

   4. (iv)

      No Player who has been found guilty of an offence by the Management Committee, a League / Association or Council Tribunal and incurred a penalty shall be ineligible to receive a Fairest and Best or Runner Up award, but will remain eligible for a lesser award.

   5. (v)

      Any player either Junior or Senior being un-financial, be either fees or match fees shall be ineligible to receive trophies.

5. 25.5

   The Club is to allocate recognition achievements on the following basis:-

   1. (i)

      Senior / Colts - 50 games, 100 games, 150 games, 200 games, 250 games, 300 games - Recognition with a Club Medallion.

   2. (ii)

      AusKick (including Year 1 & 2), Year 3 to Year 12 -

      • 50 games - Recognition with a Club Achievement Certificate

      • 100 games, 150 games, 200 games - Recognition with a Club Medallion.

   3. (iii)

      The above achievements in (i) above will only be recognised for the games played for the Club and not to included games played outside the Club.

   4. (iv)

      AusKick (including Year 1 & 2), Year 3 to Year 12 players will be recognised in Juniors only and not carried over to the Seniors games. Seniors games will not include Junior games played for the Club.

   5. (v)

      Junior and Senior players achieving any of the milestones referred in (Section 25.5 (ii)) will be recognised with a certificate from the Club and a medallion under the banner of the Association, if approved by the Association. Where a medallion is not approved by the association, there shall be no logo of the Club or the Association on the medallion.

6. 25.6

   Best Players - Managers are to distribute three (3) voting cards before each game. Five (5) best players in order of preference to be placed on each card as judged by the card holder. Completed voting cards are to be sealed in an envelope and handed to the Team Manager at the earliest convenience. The Management Committee is to decide the format for the vote count on a yearly basis.

7. 25.7

   All Players must be financial by the end of the fourth (4) weeks after their first official game played. Players not financial at this point are ineligible to play. Managers shall be responsible for the collection of fees and shall inform the coach of the ineligibility of such players to take part in any game until financial. A scale of pro-rata fees shall apply as determined by the Management Committee.

8. 25.8

   No amendments to this Constitution shall be affected unless approved at the Annual General Meeting or at a General Meeting. Any such proposed amendments must be notified in writing, and received by the Club Secretary seven (7) days before the Annual General Meeting or General Meeting takes place.

9. 25.9

   The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objectives as set forth in this constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly by way of dividend bonus or otherwise howsoever to its members provided that nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith or remuneration to any officer or servant of the Club for services actually rendered to the Club. A minimum of two (2) Executive Officers signatures must approve all payment of Club funds. No single person is permitted to sign cheques issued against Club funds. Payments by Credit Card can be authorised by the Credit Card Holder and must be verified by the Treasurer. Payments made by funds transfer can be authorised by the Treasurer.

10. 25.10

    For the day to day operations of the club a “Club Policy Document” is to be provided to all committee members and office bearers, this policy can be amended by a meeting of the full committee, from time to time, and is to be adhered to by all members.

26. RESIGNATION

1. 26.1

   A member retiring from the Club or ceasing to be a member shall not be entitled to any portion of the property or funds of the Club, unless there is bona fide debt due to him.

27. PROPERTY OF THE CLUB

1. 27.1

   The custody of the property of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee who shall have power to forbid any member from using or handling it. No property shall be lent to any Club or individual without the consent of the Management Committee.

28. RECOGNISED PLAYING COSTUME

1. 28.1

   Any member taking part in any match is strongly encouraged to attend in recognised Club playing costume. Violation of this rule by any member shall be liable to penalties as defined by the Management Committee.

29. MISCONDUCT OF MEMBERS

1. 29.1

   Any member (Including Life Members) found guilty of any unseemly conduct or misuse of the property of the Club shall be dealt with summarily by the Management Committee, who shall thereupon, for the time being, be invested with all the powers to deal with the case. Any guidance of offences is to be in conjunction with the Club’s Code of Conduct.

2. 29.2

   If the member so dealt with be dissatisfied with the actions of the Management Committee he may appeal to a Special General Meeting of the Club, which shall be convened by the Secretary on the member's application in writing and their expense.

3. 29.3

   If the members of the General Meeting do not agree with the action of the Management Committee, the decision may be amended or reversed and the expense of convening such a meeting shall be returned to the member making such application.

4. 29.4

   In cases of hardship, the Management Committee will have the right to waive expenses normally accepted by the members.

5. 29.5

   A member suspended pursuant to 29.1 shall be advised in writing of his or her suspension. Such advice shall specify:

   1. (i)

      The date the suspension was voted on by the Management Committee.

   2. (ii)

      The period of the suspension.

   3. (iii)

      The date from which the suspension or expulsion shall commence.

   4. (iv)

      The date on which suspension will end where applicable.

   5. (v)

      The advice that all rights and privileges as a member are withdrawn for the period of the suspension.

30. INTERPRETATION

1. 30.1

   In the case of any question arising not provided for in these rules or as to the interpretation thereof, the decision of the Management Committee shall be final.

31. ACQUIESCENCE

1. 31.1

   The payment of the subscriptions shall imply a member's acquiescence in the rules, by-laws and regulations.

32. ALTERATION OF RULES

1. 32.1

   No alterations or additions to these rules shall be effected except by a seventy five percent (75%) majority present and voting at either a Special General Meeting called for that purpose or at an Annual General Meeting. Where a Special General Meeting is called to alter or add to these rules, 14 days notice must be given of the meeting date, time and venue.

33. BY-LAWS

1. 33.1

   The Management Committee shall have power to make such by-laws as are not inconsistent with these rules.

34. LIQUOR

1. 34.1

   Liquor shall be sold for consumption on the premises only.

2. 34.2

   No member under the age of eighteen may be admitted to the premises, subject of the Club Restricted Licence, during the hours of operation of the Permit unless in the company of an adult person in authority over him/her.

35. GUESTS

1. 35.1

   A member may introduce to the Club, during the trading hours of the Club Restricted Licence, guests not exceeding three in number and in the member's company.

2. 35.2

   Names of guests and of the member introducing them shall be entered in a book provided which will remain open for inspection at all times.

36. NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION

1. 36.1

   The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Club. No portion of the income or property shall be paid, transferred or distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the Club. However, nothing shall prevent the payment in good faith of remuneration to any officer or employee of the Club or to any person other than a member, in return for services rendered to the Club.

37. COMMON SEAL

1. 37.1

   The Common Seal of the Club engraved with the Club shall be kept in the care of the Secretary. The seal shall not be used or affixed to any deed or other document except pursuant to a resolution of the Management Committee and in the presence of the President, Secretary and one other member of the Management Committee who shall subscribe their names as witnesses.

38. DISSOLUTION

1. 38.1

   The Club may be dissolved or wound up by a resolution of seventy five percent (75%) majority of members or at a Special General Meeting called for such purpose. If upon the dissolution or winding up of the Club there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to, transferred or distributed amongst the members of the Club. It shall be given to some other incorporated association having objects similar wholly or in part to the objects of as the Club, provided that it shall prohibit the distribution of its income and property amongst its members, or it shall be given for charitable purposes as set out by the Associations Incorporations Act 1987.

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This Code of Conduct has been developed for all members, players, officials and spectators in the best interests of the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc (the “Club”).

1. 1.

   This Club condemns the use of violence in any form and will act accordingly if required.

2. 2.

   All Club members including players are required to respect the rights of others and their property.

3. 3.

   All Club members including players are required to co-operate with the Committee, Coach, Captain, team mates and other Club members.

4. 4.

   All Club members including players are required to abide by the rules and respect official’s decisions.

5. 5.

   All Club members including players are required to control your temper and language, particular around ladies and children.

6. 6.

   All Club members including players must not abuse or argue with officials, committee, team mates and other players.

7. 7.

   All Club members including players are required to maintain a positive image.

8. 8.

   All Club members including players are required to be constructive with their comments.

9. 9.

   All Club members including players are required to participate in Club activities and functions.

10. 10.

    The Club does not condone any behaviour or activities, which will bring the Club in disrepute and any incident, will be acted on accordingly.

11. 11.

    The partaking and/or supply of illegal and/or prohibited substances in the boundary of the Brown Park Recreation Complex will result in disciplinary action by the Executive Committee.

12. 12.

    The Bruce Douglas Pavilion and inside the bar area is a Smoke Free Zone and any breach will result in disciplinary action by the Executive Committee.

13. 13.

    The Club will not tolerate any form of Sexual Harassment regardless of gender and sexual beliefs. Any breach or complaint will result in disciplinary action by the Executive Committee.

14. 14.

    Players must treat the club house and facilities with respect and due care. Any accidental damage or incidents should be reported to the Secretary and those responsible will be expected to pay for any damage caused by their actions.

15. 15.

    No player, member or official shall criticise or make comment in public, in private or elsewhere, verbally, by action, gesture, text messages, emails or any other means to another player, member or official that is detrimental to the interests of the Club or which may cause upset or distress to the individual.

Foot Note Section 15: For the avoidance of doubt, any posting by a player, member or official of comments on a social media platform (including, without limitation, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn) shall be deemed to be ‘public’ for the purposes of this offence.

Adopted 23 September 1997 · Amended 22 September 2008 · Amended 9 November 2017

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GRIEVANCE POLICY AND PROCESS

It is the Swan View Football Club’s policy to create and maintain an environment which is committed to fair and equitable procedures to resolve grievances through the provision of a satisfactory grievance resolution process and the application of the principles of natural justice.

It is recognised that when a committee or club member has concerns about, or perceptions of unnecessary or unjustified personal hardship, detriment or annoyance, this can seriously affect morale and performance. These concerns may result from the decisions or actions exercised by the committee or support staff. It is the intention of this policy to minimise the effects or grievances by resolving issues in a timely fashion with an aim for a win / win solution.

The Swan View Football Club has a number of processes by which members can seek solutions to grievances.

Member’s wishing to seek external professional assistance for personal problems or issues may do so.

Member’s using this grievance procedure can be assured of:

• Impartiality If you make a complaint, it will be investigated in a fair and impartial manner. No judgements or assumptions will be made, and no action will be taken until the investigation is complete. If a complaint is made against you, your rights will be protected and you will be given an opportunity to tell your side of the story.

• Confidentiality You can feel secure that if you do make a complaint under this policy it will remain confidential. The only people who will have access to information about the complaint will be the person making the complaint and the person investigating.

• No Victimisation You can also rest assured that if you make a complaint you will not suffer in any way as a consequence. The Executive Committee will ensure a person who makes a complaint is not victimised in any way.

• Timeliness Each complaint will be finalised within as short a period as possible. Except with the agreement of the aggrieved member/s, informal processes should not exceed two weeks. Unless agreed by the aggrieved member/s the time frame for formal resolution should be no longer than four weeks. All complaints should be finalised within six weeks.

Procedure

Before taking formal action member’s are encouraged to speak with a Contact Person or President who will be able to provide advice, support and guidance throughout the process.

Informal Process

• An aggrieved member should, if the member feels comfortable in doing so, attempt to resolve the grievance by approaching the person (or persons) who is (are) the cause of the grievance.

• If an aggrieved member feels uncomfortable in approaching the person(s) who is the cause of the grievance, the member should promptly and, initially, verbally inform the President of the grievance.

• Where the grievance involves the actions or decisions of the President, or for other reasons the member does not wish to approach the President, the matter should be referred to the next-in-line Executive Member.

• The aggrieved member may, initially, consult the Club’s Contact Person to seek advice prior to approaching the President.

• During the informal process the parties may agree to seek advice from a Grievance Officer and/or invite that officer to join the process to assist in the resolution of the grievance through the application of appropriate techniques e.g. mediation.

• Where the informal process has failed to resolve the grievance to the aggrieved member’s satisfaction, the member may lodge a formal written grievance with the Grievance Officer or the Committee.

It is not necessary to keep a record of grievances resolved informally but any documentation associated with either the informal or formal process should be kept under confidential cover by the Grievance Officer and the Committee.

Grievance Officers may keep a record of informal grievances involving matters of policy or process and where recurring problematic elements are identified, make recommendations for change to the Committee, where appropriate.

At any stage of the formal or informal process, the aggrieved member may request that the process of resolving the grievance be handled by another Grievance Officer.

Formal Process

It is the aggrieved member’s prerogative to raise the grievance formally.

• The Committee or Club’s Grievance Officer should receive a written grievance statement from the aggrieved member and, if deemed necessary, inform the President of the grievance.

• The Grievance Officer should investigate the matter to the extent necessary to identify the core issue/s, establish the substantiated facts and, if necessary, interview the parties to obtain a balanced view of the matter.

• The Grievance Officer will establish a grievance file, upon which will be placed:

  • the written grievance statement;

  • details of the grievance, attaching any related correspondence;

  • details of any action taken in investigating the matters, including records of any interviews; and

  • record of any outcomes or recommendations made.

• The Officer who is in custody of the grievance file is responsible for ensuring the confidentiality of the file. The Committee is responsible for tracking the grievance file at all times.

• The Grievance Officer may refer the aggrieved member to the President, or discuss with the President the aggrieved member’s case but this should generally only occur in those instances where highly sensitive or complex issues exist and the Grievance Officer requires further advice regarding management of the grievance, or in those cases where the Grievance Officer considers that the President needs to be aware of the situation.

• When the Grievance Officer is satisfied that all relevant information has been obtained, appropriate resolution techniques should be applied to achieve a win/win or other satisfactory (to the parties) outcome, with the details recorded on the grievance file and passed to the President for his or her information.

Should a satisfactory outcome not eventuate, the Grievance Officer should report (in writing) with recommendations to the President who will:

• review the grievance;

• provide a written decision to the parties;

• advise the aggrieved employee of the right to refer the grievance to another authority such as the Equal Opportunity Commission.

NOTE: THE AGGRIEVED MEMBER MAY WITHDRAW A GRIEVANCE AT ANY STAGE.

Third party involvement

All parties involved in the grievance (including the aggrieved member) must maintain strict confidentiality about the grievance. Discussing the matter with someone who does not have a legitimate involvement may result in defamation claims.

If a person is not happy with the way their complaint has been dealt with by the Committee, they may wish to go to an external agency for further advice and assistance.

Contact Officers’ Role

Contact Officers have delegated authority from the Committee to:

• advise aggrieved members about the options available to deal with the grievance.

Contact Officers are not required to deal with complaint respondents or investigate complaints.

Grievance Officers’ Role

Grievance Officers have delegated authority from the Committee to:

• advise and assist all member in grievance resolution;

• investigate and resolve (where possible) grievances, within the parameters established by the Committee, using techniques relevant to the circumstances,

• refer grievances and/or aggrieved members, where necessary, to the President; and

• advise those members of their right to seek redress from the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Grievance Officers will also ensure confidentiality is preserved at all times and protect the interests and rights of the parties to a grievance.

Grievance Officers should base their grievance assessments/conclusions on the facts of the matter and should not:

• assume anything;

• give legal advice; or

• provide psychological counselling.

Areas of Responsibility

The overall responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness of the Club’s Grievance policy and procedures is vested in the President.

The Club Committee has responsibility for the election and appointment of Grievance and Contact Officers within the Club.

The Committee has responsibility for the secure keeping of all records emanating from any grievance process.

Adopted 19 July 1999

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INTRODUCTION

‘Members’ refers to administrators, clubs, club members, coaches, officials, registered players, sponsors, support personnel, spectators, parents and umpires.

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc (“the Club”) understands that the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) devices / equipment bring great benefits to all users and can contribute to the effective operation of the organisation and its members through the ability to disseminate information, the ability to promote the sport and club and to provide members with the ability to connect with others within the Club. The Club respect the rights of our members to use social media to create, share and use content. It is important for members to recognise that when they engage online in conversations or share information that references of the Club may be held, or be perceived to be, responsible for their behaviour.

The Club has an obligation to ensure that it maintains a safe physical and emotional environment for its members and this includes cyber safety and the safe and responsible use of ICT. Individual members also have a responsibility to use ICT in a safe and responsible way, and not bring the game into disrepute.

The Club and its members will create a cyber safe environment by:

• Using the organisation’s name, moto, crest and/or logo only in an appropriate way in line with the organisation’s guidelines;

• Using the organisation or affiliated club’s websites to provide information about competitions, committees, policies, rules, social events or other important sport related issues;

• Using SMS and/or email by officials, managers, coaches etc. to communicate Club business and Club sanctioned social events (via parents in the case of juniors);

• Using the Clubs social network pages to promote positive Club news and events (with permission obtained from featured individual(s) and via parents for juniors);

• Ensuring content of posts or electronic communication doesn’t breach any Club policies or codes of conduct;

• Ensuring content of posts or electronic communication doesn’t breach state or Commonwealth law. This includes not engaging in ‘sexting’ where a member sends or is in possession of an inappropriate sexualised image of a person under the age of 18 years – this is a criminal offence in WA and the Police will be informed immediately;

• Not engaging in cyber bullying, including but not limited to:

  • harassing, teasing, intimidating or threatening another person via electronic means,

  • sending or posting inappropriate digital pictures or images, email / instant / phone / text messages, or website postings (including social network sites i.e. Facebook or blogs) and is irrespective of whether the page could be viewed by the wider public or not; and

• Members will remain responsible for and be vigilant of the content and security of their individual accounts such as email, social networking (i.e. Facebook), micro blogging (i.e. Twitter), video sharing (i.e. YouTube), picture sharing (i.e. Instagram), mobile phones and any other median that have not been listed.

THE CLUBS EXPECTATIONS FOR MEMBERS’ PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR IN ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA

Please be aware that only the President (or delegated member) is authorised to speak on behalf of the Club in any media environment.

The following principles refer to those personal or unofficial online activities where you might refer to the Club, be they during or outside of the Club.

1. 1.

   Have fun, but be smart

   Use sound judgement and common sense in the same way with the online world as we do the physical one – by ensuring you adhere to the Clubs policies around privacy, discrimination and harassment confidentiality as it relates to the Clubs information and use of the Clubs trademarks and logos.

2. 2.

   You are responsible for your actions

   Anything you post that can potentially tarnish the Clubs brand or reputation will ultimately be your responsibility. This is obviously a difficult thing to specify, so “if in doubt, don’t”.

3. 3.

   Be conscious when mixing your business and personal lives

   Online, your personal and the Club are likely to intersect. The Club respects your right to free speech, but you must remember that all members often have access to what you post – whether you intended it or not. Due to the nature of social media, there is potential for you to find yourself involved in conflict and/or innuendo that may be detrimental to your personal and/or the Club relationships. Try to refrain from ‘standing up’ for the Club online when you see someone making negative comments. Considerable embarrassment can occur. It is prohibited to put up “pages” on any social media format that may be interpreted as potentially being an officially sanctioned Cub page when that is not the case, and the use of the Clubs branding for this purpose is not permitted.

4. 4.

   Know that social media commentary is public and permanent

   Everything you post is public and once information is posted online, it is essentially part of a permanent record, even if you “remove/delete” it later or attempt to make it anonymous. Modern technology means that there is always a risk that your posts can reappear to be traced at any time.

BREACH OF POLICY

It is every member’s responsibility to read and understand the Club’s Social Media Policy. Any member misuse of social media can have serious consequences for the Club. A failure to adhere to the Clubs policies may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the Club’s Code of Conduct. It is very important that when referring to the Club or the Clubs members in the social media space as covered by the principles, you do not directly or indirectly put yourself in a position where such failure to comply may be assumed.

Adopted 19 April 2018

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Version 1.0 · 14 March 2019

1. Introduction

Swan View Football Club strives to create an inclusive and social environment where children can learn and enjoy playing the sport of AFL.

2. Purpose of Our Policy

The main objective of our Member Protection Policy is to maintain responsible behaviour and the making of informed decisions by participants in this club. It outlines our commitment to a person’s right to be treated with respect and dignity, and to be safe and protected from abuse. Our policy informs everyone involved in our club of his or her legal and ethical rights and responsibilities and the standards of behaviour that are required. It also covers the care and protection of children participating in our club’s activities.

3. Who Our Policy Applies To

Our policy applies to everyone involved in the club including committee members, administrators, coaches, officials (umpires/referees/judges), players, parents and spectators.

4. Extent of Our Policy

Our policy covers unfair decisions (e.g. team selection) and actions, breaches of our code of behaviour and behaviour that occurs at practice, in the club rooms, at social events organised or sanctioned by the club (or our sport), and on away and overnight trips. It also covers private behaviour where that behaviour brings our club or sport into disrepute or there is suspicion of harm towards a child or young person.

5. Club Responsibilities

We will:

• implement and comply with our policy;

• promote our policy to everyone involved in our club;

• promote and model appropriate standards of behaviour at all times;

• respond to breaches or complaints made under our policy promptly, fairly, and confidentially;

• review this policy every 12-18 months; and

• seek advice from and refer serious issues to our district body.

Serious issues include unlawful behaviour that involves or could lead to significant harm and includes criminal behaviour (e.g. physical assault, sexual assault, child abuse) and any other issues that our state or national body request to be referred to them.

6. Individual Responsibilities

Everyone associated with our club must:

• comply with the standards of behaviour outlined in our policy;

• treat others with respect;

• always place the safety and welfare of children above other considerations;

• be responsible and accountable for their behaviour;

• follow the guidelines outlined in this policy if they wish to make a complaint or report a concern about possible child abuse, discrimination, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour.

7. Protection of Children

7.1 Child Protection

The Swan View Football Club is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people accessing our service. We support the rights of the child and will act without hesitation to ensure a child safe environment is maintained at all times. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.

Swan View Football Club acknowledges that our staff, members and volunteers provide a valuable contribution to the positive experiences of children involved in our sport. Swan View Football Club aims to continue this and to take measures to protect the safety and welfare of children participating in our sport by:

1. 7.1.1

   Identify and Analyse Risk of Harm

   The Swan View Football Club will develop and implement a risk management strategy, which includes a review of existing child protection practices, to determine how child-safe and child-friendly the organisation is and to determine what additional strategies are required to minimise and prevent risk of harm to children because of the action of an employee, volunteer or another person.

2. 7.1.2

   Develop Codes of Conduct for Adults and Children

   The Swan View Football Club will ensure that the organisation has codes of conduct that specify standards of conduct and care when dealing and interacting with children, particularly those in the organisation’s care. The organisation will also implement a code of conduct to address appropriate behaviour between children.

   The code(s) of conduct will set out professional boundaries, ethical behaviour and unacceptable behaviour.

3. 7.1.3

   Choose Suitable Employees and Volunteers

   The Swan View Football Club will ensure that the organisation takes all reasonable steps to ensure that it engages the most suitable and appropriate people to work with children (in prescribed positions).

   This may be achieved using a range of screening measures. Such measures will aim to minimise the likelihood of engaging (or retaining) people who are unsuitable to work with children.

   The Swan View Football Club will ensure that working with children checks/criminal history assessments are conducted for employees and volunteers working with children, where an assessment is required by law.

   If a criminal history report is obtained as part of their screening process, the Swan View Football Club will ensure that the criminal history information is dealt with in accordance with relevant state requirements.

4. 7.1.4

   Support, Train, Supervise and Enhance Performance

   The Swan View Football Club will ensure that volunteers and employees who work with children or their records have ongoing supervision, support and training such that their performance is developed and enhanced to promote the establishment and maintenance of a child-safe environment.

5. 7.1.5

   Empower and Promote the Participation of Children In Decision-Making And Service Development

   The Swan View Football Club will promote the involvement and participation of children and young people in developing and maintaining child-safe environments.

6. 7.1.6

   Report and Respond Appropriately To Suspected Abuse and Neglect

   The Swan View Football Club will ensure that volunteers and employees are able to identify and respond to children at risk of harm.

   The Swan View Football Club will make all volunteers and employees aware of their responsibilities under respective state laws if they have suspicion on reasonable grounds that a child has been or is being abused or neglected.

   In addition to any legal obligation, if any person feels another person or organisation bound by this policy is acting inappropriately towards a child or is breaching the code’(s) of practice set out they may make an internal complaint.

7.2 Supervision

Members under the age of 10 must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult. Our club will provide a level of supervision adequate and relative to the members’ age, maturity, capabilities, level of experience, nature of activity and nature of venue. If a member finds a member under the age of 10 is unsupervised, they should assume responsibility for the member’s safety until the parent/guardian or supervisor can be found.

Parents must turn up on time to collect their child for reasons of courtesy and safety. If it appears a member will be left alone at the end of a training session with just one child, they will ask another member to stay until the child is collected.

7.3 Transportation

Parents/guardians are responsible for transporting their children to and from club activities (e.g. practice and games). Where our club makes arrangements for the transportation of children (e.g. for away or over night trips), we will conduct a risk assessment that includes ensuring vehicles are adequately insured, the driver has a current and appropriate licence for the vehicle being used and appropriate safety measures are available (e.g. fitted working seatbelts)

7.4 Taking Images of Children

Images of children can be used inappropriately or illegally. The club requires that members, wherever possible, obtain permission from a child’s parent/guardian before taking an image of a child that is not their own and ensure that the parent knows the way the image will be used. We also require the privacy of others to be respected and disallow the use of camera phones, videos and cameras inside changing areas, showers and toilets.

If the club uses an image of a child it will avoid naming or identifying the child or it will, wherever possible, avoid using both the first name and surname. We will not display personal information such as residential address, email address or telephone numbers without gaining consent from the parent/guardian. We will not display information about hobbies, likes/dislikes, school, etc as this information can be used as grooming tools by pedophiles or other persons. We will only use appropriate images of a child, relevant to our sport and ensure that the child is suitably clothed in a manner that promotes the sport, displays its successes, etc.

8. Anti-harassment, Discrimination and Bullying

Our club opposes all forms of harassment, discrimination and bullying. This includes treating or proposing to treat someone less favourably because of a particular characteristic; imposing or intending to impose an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice which has an unequal or disproportionate effect on people with a particular characteristic; or any behaviour that is offensive, abusive, belittling, intimidating or threatening – whether this is face-to-face, indirectly or via communication technologies such as mobile phone and computers. Some forms of harassment, discrimination and bullying are against the law and are based on particular characteristics such as age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, political or religious beliefs, race, and marital status.

Our club takes all claims of harassment, discrimination, bullying and cyber bullying seriously. We encourage anyone who believes they have been harassed, discriminated against or bullied to raise the issue with the club.

9. Inclusive practices

Our club is welcoming and we will seek to include members from all areas of our community.

9.1 People with a disability

Where possible we will include people with a disability in our teams and club. We will make reasonable adaptations (e.g. modifications to equipment and rules) to enable participation.

9.2 People from diverse cultures

We will support and respect people from diverse cultures and religions to participate in our club and where possible will accommodate requests for flexibility (e.g. modifications to uniforms).

9.3 Sexual & Gender Identity

All people, regardless of their sexuality, are welcome at our club. We strive to provide a safe environment for participation and will take action over any homophobic behaviour.

9.4 Pregnancy

Pregnant women should be aware that their own health and wellbeing, and that of their unborn children, should be of utmost importance in their decision making about the way they participate in our sport. We recommend pregnant women to consult with their medical advisers, make themselves aware of the facts about pregnancy in sport, and ensure that they make informed decisions about participation.

9.5 Girls playing in boys teams

If there is not a separate sex competition, our club will support girls playing in boys teams up until the age of 12 years (when federal sex discrimination law says if differences in strength, stamina and physique are relevant, then single sex competition is required). After this age our club will consider each request on an individual basis including looking at the nature of our sport and other opportunities to compete.

10. Responding to Complaints

10.1 Complaints

Our club takes all complaints about on and off-field behaviour seriously. Our club will handle complaints based on the principles of procedural fairness (natural justice), that is:

• all complaints will be taken seriously;

• both the person making the complaint (complainant) and the person the complaint is against (respondent) will be given full details of what is being said against them and have the opportunity to respond (give their side of the story);

• irrelevant matters will not be taken into account;

• decisions will be unbiased and fair; and

• any penalties imposed will be fair and reasonable.

More serious complaints may be escalated to our district body.

If the complaint relates to suspected child abuse, sexual assault or other criminal activity, then our club will need to report the behaviour to the police and/or relevant government authority.

10.2 Complaint Handling Process

When a complaint is received by our club, the person receiving the complaint (e.g. President) will:

• listen carefully and ask questions to understand the nature and extent of the problem;

• ask what the complainant would like to happen;

• explain the different options available to help resolve the problem;

• take notes; and

• maintain confidentiality but not necessarily anonymity.

Once the complainant decides on their preferred option for resolution, the club will assist, where appropriate and necessary, with the resolution process. This may involve:

• supporting the person complaining to talk to the person being complained about

• bringing all the people involved in the complaint together to talk objectively through the problem (this could include external mediation);

• gathering more information (e.g. from other people that may have seen the behaviour);

• seeking advice from our district, regional, state and/or national body or from an external agency (e.g. State Department of Sport or anti-discrimination agency);

• referring the complaint to our district association; and/or

• referring the complainant to an external agency such as a community mediation centre, police or anti-discrimination agency.

In situations where a complaint is referred to our district association and an investigation is conducted, the club will:

• co-operate fully;

• ensure the complainant and respondent are not victimised;

• where applicable, ensure the complainant is not placed in an unsupervised situation with the respondent(s); and

• act on our district association’s recommendations.

At any stage of the process, a person can seek advice from or lodge a complaint with an anti-discrimination commission or other external agency.

10.3 Disciplinary Measures

Our club will take disciplinary action against anyone found to have breached our policy or made false and malicious allegations. Any disciplinary measure imposed under our policy must:

• Be applied consistent with any contractual and employment rules and requirements;

• Be fair and reasonable;

• Be based on the evidence and information presented and the seriousness of the breach;

• Be determined by our Constitution, By Laws and the rules of the game.

Possible measures that may be taken include:

• verbal and/or written apology;

• counselling to address behaviour;

• withdrawal of any awards, placings, records, achievements bestowed in any tournaments, activities or events held or sanctioned by our club;

• suspension or termination of membership, participation or engagement in a role or activity;

• de-registration of accreditation for a period of time or permanently;

• a fine; or

• any other form of discipline that our club considers reasonable and appropriate.

10.4 Appeals

The complainant or respondent can lodge one appeal against decisions of or disciplinary measures imposed by our club to our district association. Appeals must be based on either a denial of natural justice, because of unjust or unreasonable disciplinary measure(s) being imposed, or on the grounds that the decision was not supported by the information/evidence presented and available to the decision maker/club.

Attachment 1.1: Member Protection Declaration

Our club has a duty of care to all those associated with our club. As a requirement of our Member Protection Policy, we must enquire into the background of those who undertake any work, coaching or regular unsupervised contact with people under the age of 18 years.

The declaration (signed with your name, address and date of birth) states:

1. 1.

   I do not have any criminal charge pending before the courts.

2. 2.

   I do not have any criminal convictions or findings of guilt for sexual offences, offences related to children or acts of violence

3. 3.

   I have not had any disciplinary proceedings brought against me by an employer, sporting organisation or similar body involving child abuse, sexual misconduct or harassment, other forms of harassment or acts of violence

4. 4.

   To my knowledge there is no other matter that the club may consider to constitute a risk to its members, employees, volunteers, athletes or reputation by engaging me.

5. 5.

   I will notify the President of the club immediately upon becoming aware that any of the matters set out in clauses 1 to 4 above has changed.

Parent/Guardian Consent (in respect of a person under the age of 18 years): I have read and understood the declaration provided by my child. I confirm and warrant that the contents of the declaration provided by my child are true and correct in every particular.

The signable declaration form is in the original PDF below.

Attachment 1.2: Working With Children Check Requirements

Working with Children Checks aim to create a child-safe environment and to protect children and young people involved in our sport from physical and sexual harm.

They assess the suitability of people to work with children and young people and can involve:

• criminal history checks

• signed declarations

• referee checks, and

• other relevant background checks to assess a person’s suitability to work with children and young people.

Detailed information, including the forms required to complete a Working with Children Check, are available from the relevant agencies in each state and territory.

Western Australia: Contact the Department for Child Protection. Website: www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au Phone: 1800 883 979

Travelling to other states or territories

It is important to remember that when travelling to other states or territories, representatives of sporting organisations must comply with the legislative requirements of that particular state or territory.

In October 2011 at the Standing Council on Community, Housing and Disability Services, Commonwealth, state and territory ministers agreed to introduce, by late 2012, national exemptions to Working with Children Checks for paid employees and volunteers who are required to cross state or territory borders for work related purposes.

These exemptions will be for up to 30 days in any 12 month period and will enable workers to participate in national and inter-jurisdictional activities on a short-term basis. This means that volunteers and workers with a valid check in their home state or territory will be able to participate in short-term activities across state and territory borders without the need for additional checks.

The Australian Sports Commission will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

Attachment 2: Reporting Forms

The Record of Complaint form (complainant, person complained about, nature of complaint, action taken and follow-up) is in the original PDF below.

Original: adopted 21 March 2019

Download the original PDF12 pages

A fact sheet by Play by the Rules (www.playbytherules.net.au), updated October 2014. Play by the Rules is supported by the Australian, state and territory governments. The information on Play by the Rules is not intended as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. © Play by the Rules.

LEGISLATION

The Working with Children Check (WWC Check) is a compulsory criminal check for many people who work with children under the age of 18 years in Western Australia. It was established by the Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 (the Act) and is administered by the Working with Children Screening Unit of the Department for Child Protection.

The Act applies to people working with children who are:

• self employed

• paid employees

• students on placement

• volunteers and unpaid people.

These people may need to apply for a WWC Check if they or their employees/volunteers are in ‘child-related work’.

Those who have successfully undergone the check will receive an Assessment Notice in the form of a Working with Children Check Card which enables them to be in child-related work.

Organisations should avoid implementing ‘blanket policies’ that require people to apply for a WWC Check based only on job title or place of work.

For more information, visit www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au/checkwwc.

What responsibilities does an employer have?

Following is a summary of the major obligations employers have under the Act. However, please refer to the legislation for information on all the obligations and prohibitions that apply.

You must:

• comply with the Act.

• keep adequate records that demonstrate you are complying with the Act and, if asked by the Screening Unit, provide this information.

• notify the Screening Unit in writing, as soon as practicable, if an employee or volunteer tells you he or she has had a relevant change in criminal record. A relevant change is when a person is charged with or convicted of a Class 1 or Class 2 offence.

You must not:

• employ someone in child-related work unless he or she already holds or has applied for a WWC Card by the date required (see note below on the Five Day Threshold/Defence).

• employ someone in child-related work in connection with a child care service unless he or she already holds or has applied for a WWC Card by the first day of starting child-related work.

• employ someone in child-related work if you are aware they have withdrawn their application for a WWC Check.

• give information that you know is false or misleading on the application form or directly to the Screening Unit.

• employ someone in child-related work if you are aware they have a current Interim Negative Notice or Negative Notice.

Are there penalties for not applying for a Working with Children Check?

Yes, penalties apply to both employers and people who carry out child-related work if they do not comply with their obligations and responsibilities under the Act

ACTION

Where do I get a Working with Children Check?

Application forms are available at designated Australia Post offices. Once completed, you need to lodge the form in person at an Australian Post office with 100 points of identification. Unless you are self-employed, your ‘employer’ will need to sign the form.

Who has to apply?

Anyone wishing to commence or continue in child-related work in either a paid or volunteer capacity. Visit the WWC website for a definition of ‘child-related work’.

Once someone applies for a WWC Check, they can start work using their WWC Check receipt.

What happens once I apply?

Once you apply for a WWC Check you’ll be issued with either an Assessment Notice (WWC Card) or a Negative Notice (in certain circumstances, an Interim Negative Notice may be issued until a final decision on an application is made). An employer must not employ anyone with a Negative Notice or Interim Negative Notice in child-related work.

A copy of any Notice will be provided to the employer named in your application form. Notices do not contain details of any criminal history information.

USEFUL INFORMATION

How much does the Working with Children Check cost?

• $80 paid persons

• $10.80 for volunteers or unpaid persons.

Who is responsible for payment?

Contact your organisation to find out their policy in relation to payment for WWC Checks.

Are there exemptions?

The following people are exempt from applying for a WWC Check:

• volunteers under 18 years

• short term visitors to Western Australia carrying out child-related work within two weeks of their arrival in the State, and for no more than two weeks in any 12 month period

• workplace supervisors or employers of children, unless they otherwise carry out child-related work

• parents who volunteer in connection with their child’s activities. The exemption provided for parent volunteers varies and depends on the type of child-related work the parent is doing. For example, parents are not exempt when carrying out child-related work in connection with an over-night camp.

There are a number of additional exemptions. See Factsheet 5 Child-related work and exemptions for further information.

What is the five day threshold/defence?

If someone undertakes child related work without having applied for a WWC Check, it is a defence under the Act to have worked with children on no more than five days in a calendar year, without making an application for a Check. The ‘five-day threshold’ applies to all categories of work, except work in licensed child care services.

This defence does not apply to anyone who has been convicted of a Class 1 offence as an adult. The Act requires that anyone in child-related work (irrespective of the five-day threshold):

• report any relevant change in their criminal record

• cease child-related work immediately if convicted of a Class 1 offence as an adult.

What criminal history information is considered in a Working with Children Check?

The information obtained includes:

• convictions for any offence that you have, from when you were a child or an adult

• any ‘spent’ convictions

• any pending charge for a Class 1 or Class 2 offence (a ‘pending’ charge is a charge that has not yet been decided by a court)

• any non-conviction charge for a Class 1 or Class 2 offence (a ‘non-conviction’ charge is a charge that has been finalised by a court but did not result in a conviction)

• other information that is relevant to the Screening Unit when making an assessment.

However, a criminal record in itself will not necessarily prevent a person from working with children. The WWC Screening Unit will consider the nature of the charges or convictions and their relevance to working with children.

Note: the WWC Check is not the same as the National Police Check and some people may need to have both a WWC Check and a Police Check (e.g. to reveal fraud, stealing or driving offences). For more information, visit the WWC Check website.

How long is a Working with Children Check valid for?

Three (3) years unless it is cancelled.

Is it transferable to a different organisation?

Yes, it is transferable to any organisation in which you work or volunteer.

Who administers the process?

Employers (including clubs and associations) are responsible for ensuring that all employees or volunteers who carry out child-related work apply for a WWC Check.

Employers and people in child-related work are encouraged to contact their state sporting association to determine what sport specific policies or procedures are in place in relation to WWC Checks in their organisation.

RESOURCES

Where can I get further information or resources?

Visit the WWC Website for further information (including Factsheet 11 Information for the Sport and Recreation Sector)

Download the original PDF4 pages

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE POLICY

This policy applies to all members, administrators, officials, coaches, players, visitors and volunteers of the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc.

ALCOHOL

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc will promote the responsible adult use of alcohol by:

• Discouraging excessive or rapid consumption of alcohol e.g. happy hours, drinking competitions.

• Ensuring alcohol is not served to any person who is intoxicated or under the age of 18 years.

• Promoting lower pricing on low and non-alcoholic drinks and providing free un-bottled water.

• Provide responsible server training for paid staff and volunteers who serve alcoholic drinks in our bar.

OTHER DRUGS

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc discourages the use of medications in respect of injury/recovery that would enable a participant to compete where they would not otherwise have been able.

• The use and administration of medications is monitored and controlled.

• We will adopt and be guided by the Sports Medicine Australia policy on the administration of medications by non-medical personnel.

• The use of illicit & performance-enhancing drugs is not condoned.

• In the event that club personnel have reason to believe a member may be using illicit drugs, we will contact a relevant agency for professional advice on how to manage the situation (i.e. - Alcohol & Drug Information Service).

SMOKING

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc recognises that smoking and passive smoking are hazardous to health. We will ensure a smoke-free environment by:

• Ensuring all areas of the club, including the change rooms, offices, the bar, and all club functions are smoke-free.

• Not selling tobacco products on the premises.

• Prominently displaying no-smoking signage.

SUN PROTECTION

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc will take all reasonable steps to address sun safe practices by:

• Scheduling activities outside the hours of 10am to 3pm.

• Ensuring adequate shade is provided.

• Following The Cancer Council Western Australia guidelines for SunSmart clothing and hats.

• Providing or selling sunscreen to members and participants.

SPORTS SAFETY

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc will encourage all members to adopt practices that seek to prevent injury by:

• Encouraging warm-up, stretching and cool-down as an important component of playing and training.

• Promoting the use of protective equipment including body padding, mouth-guards, suitable clothing and footwear.

• Providing safe playing surfaces, first aid equipment and accredited First Aiders/Sports Trainers at all training sessions and competition matches.

• Ensuring adequate public liability and player insurance for all members.

• Encouraging all players with a prior or current injury to seek professional advice from a sports medicine professional and be fully rehabilitated before returning to play.

HEALTHY EATING

Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc recognises the importance of good nutrition for sports performance by:

• Ensuring when food is provided, healthy alternatives in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults are available.

• Promoting good nutrition and healthy eating messages.

NON COMPLIANCE STRATEGY

The following four step non-compliance strategy will be followed if anyone breaches the (names of club) healthy club policy

1. 1.

   Assume that the person is unaware of the policy

2. 2.

   A staff member or club representative will approach the person breaching the policy and ask them to refrain from the behaviour and remind them about the policy

3. 3.

   If an offence continues (i.e. someone continues to smoke in a smoke free area or is intoxicated) the most senior staff member will verbally warn them again and hand over a formally written letter. The letter will outline the healthy club policy and state that if the person continues the behaviour they will be asked to leave.

4. 4.

   If the offence does continue then the patron will be escorted out of the facility by staff and/or a senior club representative.

POLICY REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed six months after its introduction and then on annual basis thereafter. This will ensure that the policy remains current and practical.

Adult players, coaches and club members are expected to set appropriate examples and act as role models for junior club members.

The club will make information available to club members and families to promote healthy lifestyles.

Anyone wishing to discuss any aspect of this policy is invited to contact any members of the committee.

Original: adopted 21 March 2019

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RATIONALE

The Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc recognised that passive smoking (inhaling second-hand smoke) is hazardous to health and that non-smokers should be protected from tobacco smoke. Passive smoking can lead to other serious illnesses such as bronchitis, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chest illnesses in children. Accordingly the following policy has been developed by the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc to help protect people’s health.

The move to go Smoke Free also complements the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc desire to create a healthy family friendly environment. The Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc. believes that such an environment and image will be advantageous in attracting new members and positively promoting the club in the community.

Legislation and the legal duty of care also provide reasons to have a Smoke Free club. Under common law the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc. has a legal duty of care to ensure that employees, volunteers, players and officials are not exposed to potentially harmful situations.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act also stipulates that employees and working volunteers must have a safe environment to work in. Smoke Free dining legislation also states that enclosed dining areas must be Smoke Free.

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE POLICY

This policy applies to all members, administrators, officials, coaches, players and visitors of the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc.

DESIGNATED SMOKEFREE AREAS

The Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc requires the following areas to be Smoke Free:

• Club and social rooms;

• Administration and office areas;

• Changing rooms;

• Toilet blocks;

• Indoor spectator viewing areas;

• Playing areas;

• Eating areas;

• Grandstands and spectator viewing areas; and

• Near entries and exits of buildings, facilities, and the ground.

Original: adopted 21 March 2019

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STATEMENT OF INTENT

We, the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc hereby commit to the objective of the AFL’s Respect and Responsibility Policy to create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for women and girls at all levels of Australian Football. By committing to this goal, we understand that:

Violence against women is a violation of a woman’s right to physical and psychological integrity, to liberty, and all too often, to her right to life itself. It is any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm to women.

We acknowledge that:

• In Australia and around the world, 1 in three women will experience violence at some point in their life;

• That violence against women is the leading cause of death, disability and illness in young Victorian women aged 15 – 44;

• One in five Australian women reported being subject to sexual assault at some time in their adult lives; and

• Four in five Australian women who experienced sexual violence knew their attacker.

We understand that violence against women is a major public health and safety issue in Australia, and therefore affirm that our club understands it, and the wider football communities’ role in preventing violence against women before it occurs. We further recognise that violence against women is caused by:

• Unequal power relations between men and women and belief in rigid gender roles;

• Holding a masculine sense of entitlement;

• Belief in the male right to control relationships; and

• Promotion of these beliefs through social structures, such as sporting clubs.

We underline our commitment to challenging these behaviours and attitudes that can cause, contribute to and condone violence against women. We understand that creating environments where women feel safe, welcome and inclusive is both an individual and collective responsibility. In order to achieve this, we commit to:

• Having an equal representation of women and men in senior leadership positions;

• Actively recruiting women and girls to coaching roles

• Ensuring that all elements of the Member Protection Policy are adhered to at all times;

• Communicate and enforce relevant Club and League Codes of Conduct;

• Actively engage with the White Ribbon Campaign, or equivalent;

• Adherence to our Responsible Service of Alcohol obligations; and

• Enforcing Club and League Codes of Conduct, where applicable.

As a leader of this football club, I commit to this Statement of Intent, and will inform the wider football club of this commitment.

Original: adopted 21 March 2019

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SECTION 1 – COMMITMENT

1. 1.1

   The Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc is committed to an environment which promotes racial and religious tolerance by prohibiting certain conduct and providing a means of redress for victims of racial and religious vilification and/or racial discrimination.

2. 1.2

   The Club is bound by the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic), the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic) (the legislation). This Policy is consistent with the legislation and the Australian Football League’s Rule 30 and the Victorian Football League’s Rule 7.3. This Policy is not in substitution of the legislation.

3. 1.3

   The Club will ensure that this Policy is communicated to spectators and participants of the Club. It will also ensure that participants of the Club receive anti-racial and religious vilification and racial discrimination training on an annual basis.

4. 1.4

   Nothing in this Policy prevents a person lodging a complaint in relation to racial and religious vilification and/or racial discrimination under the legislation. In the event a complaint is made under this policy the Club shall ensure that the parties are informed of their rights.

SECTION 2 – DEFINITIONS

In this Policy:

“complaints process” means the procedure outlined in sections 6, 7 and 8 of this Policy.

“Club” means the Football Club.

“engage in conduct” includes use of the internet or email to publish or transmit statements or other material.

“League” means the Football League.

“detriment” includes humiliation and denigration.

“discrimination” means for the purpose of this Policy, conduct based on a person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Discrimination may be direct or indirect. Direct discrimination means treating or proposing to treat another person less favourably on the basis of a person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Indirect discrimination means imposing or intending to impose a requirement that a person of a particular race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin cannot comply with, but which a higher proportion of people without that attribute (or with a different attribute) can, when it is not reasonable in the circumstances to do so.

“participant” includes a player, director, officer, employee, volunteer to and agent of a Football Club that participates in the League.

“spectator” is a person that attends a football game or event conducted by a Club or the League.

SECTION 3 – PROHIBITED CONDUCT

1. 3.1

   Racial and Religious Vilification

   No person in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the League in the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions as or incidental to being a participant in the League shall engage in conduct that offends, humiliates, intimidates, contempt’s, ridicules, incites, threatens, disparages, vilifies or insults another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.

2. 3.2

   Serious Racial and Religious Vilification

   No person in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the Club in the course of carrying out his/her duties of functions as or incidental to being a participant in the Club shall intentionally engage in conduct that he/she knows Is likely to incite hatred against another person, or threaten physical harm or incite hatred in others to cause physical harm to a person or to a person’s property because of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.

3. 3.3

   Racial and Religious discrimination

   No person in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the Club in the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions as or incidental to being a participant in the Club shall engage in conduct that discriminates, directly or indirectly against another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.

4. 3.4

   Victimisation

   1. 3.4.1

      No person in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the Club in the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions as or incidental to being a participant in the Club shall victimise another person.

   2. 3.4.2

      A person will victimise another person (the victim) if:

      1. (a)

         the person subjects or threatens to subject the victim to any detriment because the victim (or a person associated with the victim) intends to or has lodged a complaint in contravention of this Policy; or

      2. (b)

         the person assists, requests, induces, encourages or authorises another person to subject the victim to any detriment because the victim (or a person associated with the victim) intends to or has lodged a complaint in contravention of this Policy.

SECTION 4 – AUTHORISED PERSONS

1. 4.1

   The Club will appoint a Complaints Officer (the Club’s Complaints Officer) to ensure that any breach of this Policy is responded to in an equitable and prompt manner.

2. 4.2

   The President of the Club (the President) is the senior decision-maker in the Club’s Complaints Process. Therefore, should the President be absent for a significant period, he/ she must nominate a person to act on his/her behalf should the process need to be enacted.

SECTION 5 – CONFIDENTIALITY AND RECORDS

1. 5.1

   Confidentiality must be maintained throughout the complaints process. All parties to a complaint, the President (or Delegate), the Club’s Complaints Officer, any witnesses and the Conciliator must all agree, in writing, to the maintenance of confidentiality. No person involved in the complaints process shall publicly comment on any aspect of the complaints process without the prior written agreement of all parties.

2. 5.2

   The Club shall ensure that any documents relating to a complaint shall remain confidential and be retained for 7 years from the date that the complaint is made.

SECTION 6 – INTER CLUB BREACH OF THE POLICY

In the event that it is alleged that a spectator or participant from another Club has contravened this Policy:

1. 6.1

   an Umpire, spectator or participant of the Club may by 5.00pm on the first working day following the day on which the contravention is alleged to have occurred, lodge a complaint in writing with Complaint’s Officer of the Club;

2. 6.2

   the Complaint’s Officer of the Club where the complaint was made shall, by 5.00pm on the next working day following the day that the complaint was lodged with the Club, lodge the complaint with the League’s Complaints Officer;

3. 6.3

   the Club’s Complaints Officer will take no further action once the complaint has been lodged with the League unless otherwise instructed by the League’s Complaints Officer.

SECTION 7 – INTRA CLUB BREACH OF THE POLICY

In the event that it is alleged that a participant of the Club has contravened this Policy an umpire, spectator or participant may by 5.00pm on the first working day following the day on which the contravention is alleged to have occurred, lodge a complaint in writing with the Club’s Complaints Officer.

SECTION 8 – MANAGEMENT OF INTRA CLUB COMPLAINTS

The Club’s Complaints Officer shall:

1. 8.1

   make every effort to ensure that:

   1. 8.1.1

      confidentiality is maintained at all times during the complaints process and that the outcome of the complaints process remains confidential;

   2. 8.1.2

      any breach of confidentiality is referred to the League’s Tribunal no later than 5pm on the next working day following the day that the breach was discovered;

2. 8.2

   inform the person alleged to have contravened the Policy (the respondent) of the complaint and provide the respondent with an opportunity to respond to it;

3. 8.3

   inform only the President of the Club or Nominee, that a Complaint has been received by the Complaints Officer;

4. 8.4

   obtain written statements from any witnesses identified by both parties to the complaint;

5. 8.5

   where available, obtain any other evidence;

6. 8.6

   arrange for the complaint to be conciliated, by an independent conciliator agreed upon by both parties;

7. 8.7

   take all steps necessary for the complaint to be conciliated within 5 working days from the day on which the incident is alleged to have occurred;

8. 8.8

   refer the complaint to the League’s Tribunal:

   1. 8.8.1

      when the complainant informs the Complaints Officer that the matter has not been resolved through conciliation. The Complaints Officer will if requested by the complainant, take all steps necessary for the complaint to be referred to League’s Tribunal within 5 working days from when the conciliation failed;

   2. 8.8.2

      directly when a respondent has previously taken part in conciliation as a respondent of a complaint;

   3. 8.8.3

      when both the Club’s Complaints Officer and President have determined that the complaint was lacking in substance and was made vexatiously;

   4. 8.8.4

      when both the Club’s Complaints Officer and President determine that under sections 24 or 25 of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic) the complaint could be considered as “serious”, he/she will take all steps necessary for the complaint to be referred to the League’s Tribunal within 5 working days from the day on which the incident is alleged to have occurred;

9. 8.9

   ensure that any time limit referred to in this Policy may be extended by the Club if in the opinion of the President of the Club it is just and equitable to do so;

10. 8.10

    ensure that where a matter is resolved by conciliation the only public statement that shall be made shall be agreed to by both parties to the complaint and the Club’s President and that the terms of any settlement are finalised to the satisfaction of the complainant and respondent and signed by the parties and the conciliator.

SECTION 9 – CLUB’S LIABILITY

The Club may be vicariously liable for conduct engaged in by a participant which if found to have contravened this Policy, if the Club is unable to establish that it took reasonable precautions to prevent the participant from engaging in that conduct.

SECTION 10 – MONITORING AND REVIEW OF THE POLICY

The Policy will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Club’s Committee.

Original: adopted 21 March 2009

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PURPOSE

Each season the Club will set a range of Fees for its players and members. For example fees are utilised for various member services including but not limited to training equipment, umpire fees, team photos, trophies and other services. Fees shall be set during the annual Budget process (as required under the Club Constitution the following meeting immediately following the AGM) and communicated to players and members prior to registration day.

FEE PAYMENT

All players are required to pay Club fees in full no later than round of the season commencing.

All other members are required to pay immediately on application.

LATE REGISTRATION

The Club recognises some players may join midway or later through the season. Should this occur a pro-rata contribution to fees is available on application to the Treasurer. Any pro-rata amount will be based on payment of a base fee plus a pro-rata amount for number of games remaining in the season if successful.

REFUNDS

Refunds are only available should the Swan View Football Club – Junior/Senior Inc be unable to provide a place for a registered player to participate in a team or squad. All refund requests need to go through the Club Treasurer, [email protected] and will be determined on a case by case basis.

Original: adopted 12 June 2019

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There are a substantial number of roles to be filled within a football club. The majority of these roles are done on a voluntary basis by committed people who ensure the livelihood of Australian Football at all levels.

Roles within a management committee

The most important roles within a football club fall with the leadership of the management committee.

• President

• Vice President (Senior & Junior)

• Secretary

• Treasurer

• Committee

Getting the culture right

What tends to get in the way of developing an effective football club is the committee becomes a 'talking shop' and individual members fail to follow through on agreed actions. This can be very demoralising for everyone involved.

To counter this tendency, it's important we create a conscious culture of 'getting things done'. We might want to set up some basic ground rules for the committee and incorporate these into a handbook or standing orders. Here are some examples of culture statements we could work by:

1. 1.

   Committee members are expected to fulfil their roles between meetings; the purpose of the meetings is to check on progress.

2. 2.

   Committee members have full authority to take all necessary actions to fulfil their allocated responsibilities within their allotted budgets.

3. 3.

   All briefing papers will be read before the meeting, not at the meeting.

4. 4.

   Each committee member shares collective responsibility and ownership of agreed decisions, irrespective of their personal view or vote on the matter.

PRESIDENT

An effective president needs to be:

1. 1.

   Well informed on all club activities: for example, know about the club's current financial position, each of the programs run by the club, who is in charge of them and the number of teams within the club.

2. 2.

   Aware of the future directions and plans of the club: for example, to build new amenities.

3. 3.

   Have a good working knowledge: familiarity with the constitution, club rules and duties of office bearers and committees.

4. 4.

   Manage committees and/or executive meetings: ensure that all matters are discussed and the best decisions made, without lengthy meetings.

5. 5.

   Chair the club's annual general meeting: see that the agenda is followed, all business is completed, awards or presentations made and speakers welcomed.

6. 6.

   Represent the club at local and regional levels: for example, a meeting called by your league or council.

7. 7.

   A supportive leader for all club members: listen to other people's suggestions (not just the committee members) and act on them.

8. 8.

   A facilitator for club activities: encourages and motivate members to ensure that planned activities go ahead.

9. 9.

   Prepared to ensure planning and budgeting occurs: planning and budgeting for the future should be carried out in accordance with the wishes of the club members.

A good president should be able to:

• Lead without controlling;

• Involve club members in decisions that affect them;

• Stimulate balanced discussion;

• Time meetings to finish on time;

• Encourage focused discussion and keep meetings on track; and

• Negotiate successfully between members and LISTEN.

VICE PRESIDENTS (SENIOR & JUNIOR)

Objectives

• To oversee all football related matters across the club;

• Provide leadership to all football coaches, players, support staff and volunteers;

• To provide support to the club president; and

• To provide support to the executive and committee members to ensure the club's efficient operation.

Responsibilities

Ensure the effective and efficient operation of the executive and all football operations.

• Preside over meetings in the absence of the president;

• Ensure that all sectors of the club football operations are managed effectively and efficiently so that on-field performance is maximised;

• Oversee the football development program so that participation at junior and senior levels is maximised;

• Ensure that all coaches and support staff are carrying out their duties as required;

• Oversee recruitment of coaches and players according to policies outlined by the club committee;

• assist other committee members in their duties as required; and

• undertake tasks at the request of the president, executive or general committee.

Relationships

Reports to the club president and general committee.

• Supports all coaches, players, support staff and volunteers;

• Liaises with the executive; and

• Liaises with official club suppliers & other key stakeholders.

Accountability

The vice presidents are accountable to the president and general committee.

• Provide a report on portfolio operations to the monthly committee meeting; and

• Seek ratification from the appropriate committee member prior to committing the club to any financial expenditure or action.

TREASURER

The treasurer is responsible for the financial management of the club including reporting on what has happened to the club’s funds and devising the most effective methods of using all available funds.

Typically, duties for the treasurer may involve:

• Issuing receipts and promptly depositing all monies received;

• Making all payments and keeping accurate, up to date records of income and expenditure;

• Ensuring that adequate accounts and records exist regarding the club's financial transactions;

• Being the signatory on club cheques, with at least one other;

• Preparing regular bank account reconciliations;

• Being responsible for the club's petty cash;

• Invoicing members for items/services provided, e.g. equipment, uniforms;

• Being fully informed about the financial position of the club at all times;

• Preparing budgets for the forthcoming year describing potential sources of income and expenditure;

• Presenting regular breakdowns of income and expenditure to the management committee;

• Preparing and presenting financial statements to committee meetings and for the annual report;

• Investing surplus funds;

• Managing club investment programs;

• Negotiating with banks for loans, overdraft facilities and mortgages;

• Handling tax returns if applicable;

• Preparing annual financial accounts for auditing, and providing the auditor with information as required;

• Ensuring annual returns and statement of accounts are filed with Consumer Protection

• Ensuring GST compliance; and

• Ensuring invoices are valid tax invoices and that suppliers issue valid invoices.

Use this checklist of all the things you need to do as soon as you get the job:

• Check details of all bank accounts and all signatories;

• Swap signatories straight away. Get the forms from the bank and take them to the annual meeting;

• Check details of credit card or spending authorisations and organise for the return of outstanding chequebooks or cards;

• Check who has the financial files and get all documents and budget information, including special events budgets and details of purchases;

• Make sure you have a master copy of your financial procedures manual;

• Organise for a detailed briefing from the outgoing treasurer detailing any spending commitments or incomings not included in budget papers;

• Prepare a timeline of upcoming payments and dates when bills (insurance/rent) are due; and

• Once you have completed your first budget statement, see if you can check with the outgoing treasurer that nothing is missing.

SECRETARY

The secretary is often the first person an outsider contacts, therefore the position of secretary is critical to the successful management of any club. The secretary is the club's chief administration officer and provides the link between members, the club executive committee and outside agencies such as another local club.

People interested in the club will generally contact the secretary when seeking information or details about activities.

The position of the secretary comprises a wide range of tasks. If these tasks were not undertaken many clubs would cease to operate efficiently and effectively.

A good secretary is often found from within the club. Good communication and a clear description of the tasks involved will help when recruiting a secretary.

The secretary is often someone who has a keen interest in the club and wants to see it progress. They may or may not be actively involved in the club's activities and may be from a member's family, a former participant or a keen spectator of club events.

With good support, previously well-maintained records and clear instructions on what has to be done, many enthusiastic volunteers have become valuable assets as club secretaries. When recruiting a secretary a club needs someone who can:

• Communicate

• Think clearly

• Maintain confidentiality on relevant matters

• Manage and supervise others (in relation to secretarial duties)

• Organise and delegate tasks

• Have attention to detail

• Appreciate a sense of urgency

If there is a member of the club with enthusiasm for the position and some of the necessary skills, with plenty of encouragement and committed support, they can become a valuable asset to the club. They should be provided with opportunities to develop their skills through courses made available through their state body (contact your State Body for details).

Secretarial duties can include a variety of tasks according to the skills of the person in the role:

• Inward and outward correspondence (including registrations and clearances)

• Preparing for meetings

• Maintaining club records through Footyweb (if applicable)

• Maintaining membership records through Footyweb (if applicable)

COMMITTEE

The Committee is responsible to manage the club on behalf of the members. These responsibilities include:

• Planning future directions;

• Developing policies and procedures;

• Carrying out recommendations of members;

• Regularly communicating with members and responding to feedback;

• Developing and managing external relationships;

• Obtaining resources and ensuring that all financial and legal matters are properly managed;

• Evaluating the performance of officials, employees, sub-Committees and importantly the Committee itself;

• Planning succession and conducting induction to newly elected Committee members;

• Ensuring that all members of the Committee act as leadership role models; and

• When required to make decisions at a meeting that are in the best interest of the club and not for individual gain.

• Any correspondence on behalf of the Club is required to be approved by any Executive member and that President and Secretary are copied in that correspondence.

• All communication to the WAFC, SDRJC or any affiliated body, the President and Secretary are the only authorised personnel to do so.

• All communication to any affiliated Club, the President is the only authorised personnel to do so.

You as a Committee Member

A Committee should operate as a team, draw on the skills and talents of each member, and work toward common goals to ensure club success. Effective Committee members should have:

• a commitment to the club;

• sufficient time to devote to the Committee;

• an understanding of the role of the Committee and their role within it;

• leadership skills and willingness to accept responsibility;

• listening skills; and

• the ability to use the technology the club uses to communicate to its members.

The specific tasks required of Committee members may vary according to the club’s plan and the attributes of the volunteers. It is important that the Committee is made up of people with a range of skills and expertise to support the broad range of governance and development needs of the club.

Original: adopted 15 May 2009

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VALUE AND RECOGNISE YOUR VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers’ motivation for continuing their involvement depends on their feeling of value and accomplishment. However, remember that some volunteers seek opportunities for public recognition and praise but others may feel uncomfortable under such circumstances.

Personally recognise their efforts, rather than just treating everyone in the same manner. It will mean more to the volunteer.

Recognise all volunteers but reward them based on the amount of effort their role requires. This way volunteers who have contributed significantly do not feel aggrieved when others who have contributed less receive the same reward.

WAYS THAT CLUBS CAN RECOGNISE VOLUNTEERS

• Special awards for volunteers: volunteer of the month and of the year – presented at monthly meetings and the AGM or presentation nights.

• Articles on individual volunteers published in the club newsletter

• Articles in the local paper

• Providing volunteers with identification badges, pins, caps and T-shirts

• Get volunteers to train other volunteers

• Get teams to write thank-you notes to every volunteer

• Nominate your volunteers for local, state and national awards

• Hold social events at the beginning and end of each season for all volunteers

• Name an event or a new facility/building after a volunteer

• Name a part of the ground after a volunteer

• Reimburse volunteers for all ‘out of pocket’ expenses

• Provide recognition certificates to every volunteer.

• Acknowledge volunteers at all club meetings

• Provide letters of reference to volunteers

• Send birthday cards to volunteers or get-well cards when they are sick

• Hold a lunch or breakfast to formally recognise the efforts of every volunteer

• Participate in the AFL Volunteer Recognition Program and any state/territory football recognition programs

• Nominate exceptional volunteers as a potential AFL State Volunteer of the Year or an AFL Merit Award

• Reduce club membership fees for volunteers, depending on their level of involvement

• Pay for any coach/umpire/administration courses, providing that in return, coaches, umpires and other volunteers make a commitment to the club

• Recognise long service to the club by awarding exceptional volunteers with life membership

• Provide thank-you letters from the executive committee

Original: adopted 21 March 2019

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