1 NAME
1.1. Scottish Veterans’ Table Tennis Association, known as the SVTTA
2 AIMS and OBJECTIVES
1.2. To organise an independent association for veteran table tennis players of all standards with the object of promoting friendship and competition among them.
1.3. To organise competitions including:
1.3.1 National Championships (NC) - Open and Age Group events. The NC Age Group event is open to all Members of the Association who have played at least one Assessment in that age group. The NC Open event is also open to all Members of the Association.
1.3.2 Assessment Tournaments to be held in a convenient central location of the country. A higher entry fee will apply to non-members entering a tournament.
1.4. To maintain a tournament points lists as required.
1.5. The Association shall be in Good Standing with Table Tennis Scotland (TTS).
3 MEMBERSHIP and SVTTA TOURNAMENT ELIGIBILITY
3.1. Membership and SVTTA Tournaments will be open to players who satisfy 3.1.1, 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 below:
3.1.1. Players who have reached or will reach the requisite age category of a given age group by 31st December of the subsequent season. For example, for season 2023-24 a player should be 40 on or before 31st December 2024.
3.1.2. Players who are permanently resident in Scotland (before the first Assessment of the season) or who are Scottish born.
3.1.3. All SVTTA members and participants in tournaments shall be members and registered with Table Tennis Scotland (TTS).
3.2. All interested parties and their designated carers if appropriate, regardless of Race, Religion, Politics, Sexual Orientation or Nationality if they meet the criteria in Section 3.1.
3.3. Any member desiring to represent Scotland in an international event must satisfy the SVTTA of their eligibility in accordance with the criteria laid down by the European and World governing bodies.
3.4. An annual membership fee is payable, and this amount is determined by the Annual General Meeting.
3.5 Non-members may play in the Assessments if they meet the criteria (3.1.) above and will pay a non-members fee with the entry form.
3.6 The SVTTA Committee has authority to make decisions to manage individual situations as they arise, applying principles of fairness to all.
3.7 At the start of the new season, each player will nominate the age group for which they are a) eligible and b) for which the points they collect will count towards Home Nations selection. If the player decides to play in a different age group in any event, their results will be counted for Ratings Central, but they will not be assigned points for the final position attained in that age group i.e., the points for each tournament will only be allocated to players who have nominated that age group. For example, if a player who selected Over 50s decides to play in an Over 40s age group in a tournament, and comes 3rd, the player will not be assigned those points. Instead, the Over 40s nominated player who came 4th in the tournament will get the points for 3rd and so forth down the age group. For each player, the sum of their top four SVTTA tournament points accumulated within their nominated age group will count towards the Home Nations Teams selection.
3.8 Selection for the Home Nations event is based on a player’s points gained in the Assessments and National Championships.
4 OFFICE BEARERS
4.1 The officers of the Association shall be Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, International Secretary, and other Office Bearers as deemed necessary by the Committee.
4.1.1 Honorary Life Membership will be awarded to any person deemed to have contributed special service to the association. This award will provide free lifetime membership of the association.
(i) A proposal to bestow Honorary Life Membership may be made by the committee or a member.
(ii) Such proposals must be included in the notice of the AGM.
(iii) All such proposals must be approved by the AGM/EGM
4.2 At the Annual General Meeting, the members present shall elect a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, International Secretary and other Office Bearers as deemed necessary by the SVTTA Committee.
4.3 The Office Bearers and any other Officers of the SVTTA elected at the Annual general Meeting shall serve from the end of the meeting at which they were elected until the next AGM after which they shall be eligible for re-election.
4.4 The Annual General Meeting shall appoint one or more independent examiner and determine their fee.
5 MANAGEMENT
5.1 The business of the Association shall be managed, on day to day matters and subject to the control of the Annual General Meeting, by the SVTTA Committee consisting of the Officers.
5.2 Every decision at a meeting of the Committee shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes of those present and voting with the Chairperson having a second and casting vote in the event of a tie.
5.3 The Executive Committee may appoint Members to fill such other positions in the Association as required.
5.4 The Committee may in exceptional circumstances call a referendum of Members. The result of such a poll shall be advisory but not binding on the Executive Committee.
6 FINANCE
6.1 All monies raised by or on behalf of the SVTTA shall be applied to support and further the aims of the SVTTA and for no other purpose provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration for any professional or technical service or repayment to Committee or Sub Committee members of any reasonable out of pocket expenses.
6.2 The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the group and shall make a financial statement at each committee meeting.
6.3 The Financial Year of the SVTTA will operate from 1 April to 31 March each year.
6.4 The Accounts shall be examined at least once a year by the independent examiner(s) appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
7 MEETINGS
7.1 The Annual General Meeting will be held during a National Assessment before the 31st of March and with at least 30 days’ notice to SVTTA members.
7.2 The SVTTA Committee shall meet at least three times per season and at other times should the Chairperson or Committee members deem appropriate.
7.3 The members of the SVTTA may request an Extraordinary General Meeting if 10 of the members request this in writing to the secretary. Such a meeting shall be intimated to all members and shall be held within 21 days of the secretary receiving such a request.
7.4 The elected Chairperson, or in their absence, a nominated person, shall chair the meetings of the SVTTA.
7.5 A quorum for Committee meetings shall consist of no less than 3 people. A quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be 10 members.
7.6 Any alteration to the constitution or rules shall receive the agreement of not less than two thirds of the members of the SVTTA present and voting at the General Meeting, whether Annual or Extraordinary provided that the notice of any such alterations shall have been received by the Secretary in writing not less than 14 clear days before the meeting at which the alteration is to be proposed. Notice of such a meeting must be sent by the Secretary to each member of the Association with at least 10 days’ notice.
7.7 All meetings shall be face to face but if this is not possible a virtual meeting, using software like Zoom, is an acceptable alternative. All meetings shall be minuted.
8 DISCIPLINARY
8.1 The SVTTA Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter brought to the attention of the Secretary alleging action or behaviour by a Member that brings the Association into disrepute or is against the best interests of the Association.
8.2 The Committee shall have the power to censure a Member, require an undertaking in such terms as the Committee may decide; suspend the Member from membership of the Association and/or withdraw the right to attend any event organised by the Association.
8.3 Any Member aggrieved by a decision of the Committee acting as a
Disciplinary Committee may appeal to a Board of Appeal consisting of three Members appointed by the Committee but not being members of the Committee. The decision of the Board of Appeal shall be final.
9 TROPHIES
9.1 Any member who holds a perpetual trophy of the Association is required to return it promptly and in good condition at the request of the Secretary.
10 DISSOLUTION
10.1. If the membership of the SVTTA decides by a simple majority at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise that it is necessary to dissolve the SVTTA, it shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting with not less than 10 days’ notice, stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed at the meeting.
10.2. If such a decision is confirmed by a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote, the Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held by or on behalf of the SVTTA. Any assets remaining after the repayment of any proper debts and liabilities shall then be given or transferred to such other Charitable Organisations or other Organisations having objects similar or supported by the SVTTA’s committee.
This constitution was adopted by the SVTTA on Sunday 6th October 2019.
Signed Ian McLagan Chairperson Date 17/11/2019
Signed Allan Whitton Secretary Date 17/11/2019
Notes
1. Updated at the SVTTA AGM, 16 Feb 2020
2. Updated at the SVTTA EGM, 27 March 2022
3. Updated at the SVTTA EGM, 19 November 2023