This section contains the main documents used to run the club. Members are encouraged to look through and contact any committee member if you have any questions.
Current contents are:
- The Constitution.
- The club Operating Rules and Safety Statement
Constitution Of The East Coast Shooting Club.
Article 1.
Name;
The name of this organisation shall be known as “The East Coast Shooting Club.”
Article 2.
Objectives;
The objectives of the above named Club shall be to encourage skill in all types of shooting, to promote rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting among citizens resident within our community with a view towards a better understanding and knowledge on the part of such citizens, of the safe handling and proper care of firearms, as well as improved marksmanship by providing instruction and safe practice in the use of firearms.
It will also be our aim to develop the characteristics of, honesty, good sportsmanship, good fellowship, self-discipline, team play and self-reliance which are essentials of good sportsmanship.
In furtherance of the above but not otherwise the Club shall be empowered;
- To foster and promote all forms of rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting recognised by the Club among citizens resident within the Republic of Ireland.
- To hold Annual General Meetings.
- To organise and promote local, regional, national, and international rifle, pistol and shotgun competition.
- To affiliate with the appropriate National Shooting Organisations for the mutual benefit of those organisations and the members of the club.
- To cultivate higher standards of achievement by conducting coaching and training programmes in all types of shooting.
- To safeguard the future of the sport by establishing a young shooters programme of training and competition for those under the age of 18 years.
- To promote a temperate and balanced image of the sport of rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting and to encourage a clearer understanding thereof.
- To act in defence and in the best interest of the sport.
- To raise funds and invite and receive contributions by way of subscription, donation or otherwise provided that the Club shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its primary objective.
- To offer, provide and contribute to prizes for skill within the sport of rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting.
Article 3.
Membership;
Membership of the above Club shall be open to persons interested in furthering the object of the Club by participating in its organisation subject to the definition listed for membership criteria below. Membership shall be by way of nomination by two full members in good standing on the official application form. This will be submitted to the Executive Committee for unanimous approval. No person shall be a member of the Club unless his or her application for membership has been accepted by the committee, who have absolute discretion not to accept any person as a member without giving a reason thereof.
The executive committee shall have the right, for good and sufficient reason to terminate the membership of any person and may by resolution communicated to any member in writing and stating the grounds on which it proposed to act shall call upon that member to resign or withdraw as the case may be. The member in question shall have the right to attend and be heard by the executive committee before a final decision is taken. If the member fails to attend, or does not resign within fourteen days after been called upon to do so the executive committee may by resolution terminate the membership.
There will be eight classifications of membership;
Full Membership
Probationary Membership
Associate Membership
Family Membership
Student Membership
Retired Membership
Junior Membership
Life Membership
.
Full Membership.
Full membership shall be open to persons who have satisfied the executive committee on their good character and proficiency in firearms handling, following the conclusion of the required probationary and associate period. Fees for annual membership shall be determined by the executive committee and shall take effect at the beginning of the ensuing membership year. The membership year will run from the 1st September each year to the following 31st August. The Executive Committee may at its discretion, change annual fees when deemed necessary. Full members only shall have the right to vote on any matters pertaining to the Club.
Annual Membership shall be open to any person of good character and repute, desiring to support the object of the above named Club who fills the necessary criteria for membership. An individual member may have the right to speak, vote and sponsor resolutions at General Meetings and shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee or by election or appointment as an officer of the above named Club. Upon written request he or she shall have the right to access to the minutes and accounts of the Club and the rights of attendance at Executive Committee Meetings as an invited observer.
Probationary Membership.
Following acceptance into the Club a person will be required to serve a probationary period of not less than twelve (12) months during which they must attend a minimum of 10 (ten) range firing practices and demonstrate their knowledge and practice of safe firearms handling. The probationary period may be extended by up to six months, if in the opinion of the Executive Committee such an extension is warranted. The decision to extend, terminate or conclude the probationary period shall be conveyed in writing to the person concerned. Probationary members may attend and speak at all general meetings of the club, but will not be entitled to vote
Associate Membership.
Once the probationary membership period of twelve(12) months is completed, new members will move to the status of Associate Members for a further three(3) years. This type of membership is identical to Full membership except that they may not vote or sponsor resolutions at General Meetings or be eligible for election to the Executive Committee or by election or appointment as an officer of the above named Club. In certain circumstances, at the discretion of the committee, the period of probationary membership can be shortened enabling such members to avail of all of the rights of a Full Membership
Family, Junior, Retired and Student Membership
These are the same as probationary, associate and full memberships in all matters except the amount of fees payable. The reduced fees and the conditions under which these fees will apply will be determined by the committee.
Life Membership
See article 4
Procedure.
Applications shall be submitted on the prescribed membership application form. Such applications shall be dealt with by the appropriate officer of the above named Club on authority of the executive committee.
Conditions;
Any person aged 18 years or over who is eligible to apply for a Firearms Certificate in the State shall be able to apply for membership of the above named Club
Applications for membership shall be submitted on the official prescribed form. The application form must be signed by the applicant and supported in writing by two nominating members prior to submission. Two current passport photographs must also be submitted and the member must permit the taking of his/her photograph digitally by the Executive Committee for Club files. The photographs supplied by the applicant must bear his /her signature on its rear. The information given on the application form will be held on file and the submission of the duly completed application form will signify acceptance of this by the applicant.
Applicants whose membership is accepted by the Executive Committee will undergo a probationary period of not less than one year. During this time they must attend a Range Safety Course and Range Orientation at the appointed time. . All persons on being accepted into the above named Club should purchase their own equipment. Use of the Authorised Firearms by new members is for a limited time. All persons who are accepted into the above named Club are required to attend at the range regularly and actively participate in the running of the Club. In the event of such non-attendance a reasonable explanation must be communicated to the Executive Committee.
All members shall in the interest of home, and public safety be required to acquire a gun safe. All members are required to purchase and use a carrying case for their equipment.
Membership identification cards will be issued to all members but the card will remain the property of the Club at all times and must be surrendered to the Club if requested or on termination of membership for any reason. Members must always be in possession of their valid ID when on any shoot organised by the Club, or attending at Club facilities and must produce this to the Range Officer before being allowed to participate in the shoot.
Termination of Membership.
A member may have membership terminated for serious breaches of safety and Club Rules. Such breaches will be reported to the Executive Committee for consideration. If a member, in the opinion of the Range Officer, has committed a breach of safety regulations, that person will not continue to participate in the shoot but must comply with any direction issued by the Range Officer.
A minor breach of club safety rules will merit a verbal warning which will be notified to the Executive Committee. A repeat will merit a written warning and a subsequent written warning will merit termination of membership. If, in the opinion of a majority of the committee, a serious breach has occurred, this will result in immediate termination of membership.
Article 4.
Life Members.
The executive committee may designate certain individuals as Life members of the club. This is an honour offered in recognition of outstanding service to the club or outstanding achievements in the shooting sports. Life members are not required to pay the annual membership fee but must pay the insurance portion of the fee if they cannot demonstrate alternative effective insurance cover. They have all of the rights and duties of Full members.
Article 5.
Officers.
The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by an executive committee composed of the officers of the Club. The Committee and officers of the above named Club shall be elected at each annual general meeting and shall hold office for up to one year.
No member of the Executive Committee may have more than one vote except for the Chairperson of the Club who, in the event of a tie, will have a second or casting vote.
The officers of the Club shall be the chairperson, honorary secretary, membership secretary, treasurer, safety officer and one officer representing each of the sections of the club(Sporting Rifle, Target Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Air Rifle)All officers will be elected by ballot of members of good standing present at the Annual General Meeting. Other officers may be co-opted on to the committee by the existing committee to assist in the running of the club each year.
The Executive Committee shall hold office for a period of one year or until their successors have been elected. Resignation of an executive officer may be accepted by a majority vote of the remaining members of the executive committee. The mandate of each committee expires at the election of the new Committee. . In the event of a vacancy occurring on Committee, the Committee shall have the right to co-opt new committee members and (re)assign roles/ responsibilities accordingly
Article 6.
Duties of Officers;
Chairperson;
The Chairperson or in his absence a deputy appointed by him, or failing such, appointed by the meeting, shall chair all meetings of the Executive Committee or other general meetings. He or she shall be a member of all regular or special committees and shall perform all such other duties as usually pertain to his or her office and will have overall responsibility for the running of the Club.
Secretary;
The secretary shall conduct all official correspondence pertaining to the proper preparation and forwarding of all reports required of the Club. He or she shall notify all members of the Executive Committee of all meetings and shall keep a true record of all meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she shall notify all members of special or general meetings and shall keep and have custody of all books and documents of the Club except those of the Club Treasurer and Membership Secretary.
Membership Secretary.
The membership secretary will administer the records of the club pertaining to all members. He will also administer the application process and present any pending applications for membership at each committee meeting. He will ensure the timely issuing of membership cards and the issuing of correspondence relating to membership renewals and membership terminations including correspondence with the Garda.
Treasurer;
The treasurer shall have charge of all funds and deposit such funds in a bank or banks as may be approved by Executive Committee. Such monies shall only be withdrawn by cheque signed by the treasurer and counter signed by any other authorised member of the executive committee so designated by the committee. The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all transactions and render a detailed report at meetings of the Executive Committee when so requested. An annual report must be submitted by the treasurer at the annual general meeting of the Club. He or she shall be responsible for all funds such as annual fees, contributions, subscriptions, donations and competition fees of the Club.
Safety Officer.
The Safety Officer shall have overall responsibility for the training in firearm safety and handling, and also for the training of all Range officers. He will also have responsibility for ensuring that range construction and range operations are carried out in a safe manner
Section Officer;
Each section officer is responsible for the set up and operation of the section he represents, Such responsibilities shall include, organising training, arranging assistants, scheduling and running competitions, team selection and the efficient operation of the part of the range used by that section. He or she will also be responsible for liaison with the National Shooting Organisation which governs the rules and regulations pertaining to the type of shooting which the section practices ,e.g. ISU target shooting.. Each year, he or she will prepare and present a plan to the committee, which covers the activities, income and expenditure which will be required to ensure the successful running of that section.
National Shooting Body Affiliations
The executive committee will regularly review and decide on affiliations with the National Shooting bodies or organisations. . Current affiliations include, The Shooting Sports Association of Ireland, The National Target Shooting Association, The National Association of Sporting Rifle Clubs, The National Silhouette Association and the Long Range Rifle Association
Article 7.
Meetings;
The Executive Committee shall meet once a month throughout the year
Quorum;
The Executive Committee shall transact no club business unless a quorum is present. The presence of four or more members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
No Quorum;
If within one hour of the appointed time for a meeting a quorum is not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the next convenient date.
Annual General Meeting.
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the last quarter of each year Notice of time, venue and Agenda shall be given to officers and members by e-mail not less than 14 days prior to the fixed date of such meetings. It is incumbent on all members to keep the membership secretary advised of their current e-mail addresses. Notices will also be displayed on the range. The Executive Committee shall fix the time and venue of such meetings.
.
Extraordinary General Meetings.
A Extraordinary General meeting of the Club may be held at any time upon the discretion of the Chairperson or upon request of the executive committee or upon demand in writing stating the object of such a proposed meeting signed by not less than 20% of fully paid up members who retain the right to vote. Notice of time, venue and object of any special meeting shall be given to all officers and members in writing or by e-mail not less than 14 days prior to the fixed date of such meetings. The Executive Committee shall fix time and venue of such meetings.
Business.
The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include;
The minutes of the previous AGM and previously extraordinary general meetings if any.
- The Chairpersons report.
- The secretary’s report.
- Membership Secretary’s report
- The treasurer’s report and presentation of previous year’s accounts.
- Safety Officer’s report
- Section Officer’s report
- Such other business as the agenda may prescribe.
- The election of members at large to the Executive Committee for the forthcoming year.
- Any other business.
Officers other than the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall deliver reports if so requested by the Chairperson, or if the secretary should receive in writing no later than 15 days prior to the AGM such a request from any member of the Club. In any event they shall stand ready to answer questions from the floor.
Nominations.
Nominations of candidates for election from the members at large must include the written consent of the member candidate and must be signed by a proposer and seconder who shall be full paid up members of the Club and must be submitted to the secretary prior to the annual general meeting.
A written list of candidates their proposers and seconders shall be made available for perusal by members present at the annual general meeting.
In the event that insufficient candidates are nominated to fill the vacancies, nominations shall be accepted from the floor. The nominee however must be present and must agree to stand.
Voting.
Voting may be by ballot or by show of hands and shall be at the discretion of the Chairperson. The chair will nominate two members of the Club not being nominees for election to act as tellers. The secretary shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that full paid members of the Club shall only vote.
Article 8.
An officer may be removed by a two third majority vote of the members present at any meeting called for the purpose thereof. No vote on removal may be taken unless 15 days notice in writing has been given to the officer in motion for the officer shall be given a full hearing at such special meeting at which a ballot on his or her removal is taken.
Article 9.
Amendment of the Constitution.
Amendment of the Constitution shall be made at either an annual general meeting or at an extraordinary general meeting. Suggested amendments which are to be submitted for consideration at an annual general meeting shall be forwarded to the secretary in writing not less than 30 days prior to such a meeting and must be supported, either by the executive Committee, or by a petition signed by no fewer than two-thirds of the club membership. Amendment by means of an extraordinary general meeting shall be conducted according to the provisions of Article 7. In order to be carried, a proposal for amendment of the constitution must be agreed by a two-third majority of members present and voting .
Article 10.
Legislation.
The executive committee shall have the power to legislate on any matter not provided for in the constitution, and to formulate and promulgate such byelaws, rules and regulations as it may feel necessary or desirable.
Interpretation.
The Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the constitution and of the byelaws, rules and regulations made there under, and the decision of the executive on any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Club and not provided for in this constitution, shall be binding and final upon each member, but subject to appeal to a general meeting.
Visitors.
Visitors may be invited to competitions or to other functions or activities of the Club with the sanction of an officer of the Club or the organiser of the event in question..
Discipline.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel or suspend , or to impose any such lesser penalty as it shall see fit on any member whose conduct is in breach of the byelaws rules or regulations of the Club or is likely in the committee’s views to bring the club in to disrepute.
In any such case the executive committee shall serve written notice of seven days of its intention to consider disciplinary action and the grounds thereof, and the party in question shall be invited to attend a meeting of the executive committee in order to make representations or to call evidence or to submit a written statement. If a majority of the members of the executive committee present and voting find the allegations of misconduct to be substantiated, a motion stipulating the penalty must receive a majority of votes in order to take effect. The individual concerned shall be informed in writing of the committee’s decision.
Article 11.
Non distribution of income, assets or profits to members.
No part of the assets, income or profits of the Club, however obtained, shall be distributed in any form to the members.
[This Clause will not prevent the Club having normal arms-length trading or contract (including employment), arrangements with members, provided that the arrangements are approved by the Committee.
On a winding up or dissolution of the Club the assets or surplus arising shall be transferred to a body, approved by the Committee, having a Constitution with objects and restrictions similar to those set out in this Constitution.
On the non renewal of the present lease with the present property owner and if the club is unable to find a new range, the assets or surplus arising shall be transferred to a body, approved by the Committee, having a Constitution with objects and restrictions similar to those set out in this Constitution. If a new range is obtained, then all of the clubs assets that can be moved will transfer to the running of the club in the new location.
Article 12.
Constitution.
A copy of the Constitution of the Club is available to all members as part of the application and joining procedure. Their signature on the application form is their agreement that they have read and understood the constitution and that they agree to abide by this constitution.. All members shall be issued with a membership card, which shall remain the property of the Club and must be returned on leaving the Club or when requested by the Committee.
- This Constitution was adopted by the Club at its AGM on the 5th December 2007
- This constitution was modified at the club AGM held on the 11th October 2016 to include the definition of “Associate” membership and to include clauses on the “Non distribution of income, assets or profits”
ECSC Operating Rules and Safety Statement
Click on the document to open. You can index through the document using the arrows in the bottom left corner.
ECSC Rules and Safety Document V3.4 13032023