1. Title

The Club shall be called “Pirates of the St Lawrence Cricket Club’’, hereafter to be referred to as “the Club” or “the Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes” & shall be an independent Club.

2. Aims & Objectives

– To provide Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes with the opportunity to play and learn social cricket, which is both inclusive and competitive, within the club and against other clubs.

– To ensure a multi-cultural club, which is open, friendly & inviting for all.

– To foster & promote cricket at all levels in the community across greater Montreal, especially among Canadians.

– To remain a cricket club for those who would not be playing cricket otherwise.

3. Membership

– Membership of the Club shall consist of members & officers of the Club elected at the Annual General Meeting.

– Membership of the Club shall be open to any person paying the relevant subscription fees as determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Club members. Indoor fees are set separately, depending on hall rental costs.

– Memberships are not active until the subscription fee is paid in full.

– There shall only be four classes of members: Junior Member “Pipettes” (under 18), Full Summer Member (18 & over), Full Indoor Member, & Social Member (a voluntary membership for those who wish to support the Club, or participate in practices only).

– To play in one outdoor match, players must at least sign up for Social Membership. To play in more than one match per season, players must upgrade to Full Summer Membership.

– All the Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes will be subject to the regulations of the constitution &, by joining the Club, will be deemed to accept these regulations & the Club’s codes of conduct upon payment of annual subscription fees.

– Full Members, 18 & over, will have the right to vote at Club General Meetings.

4. Club Meetings

– There will be an Annual General Meeting of the Club to be held in January each year. Members shall be given notice of this meeting at least 7 days in advance. This meeting shall contain a statement of accounts by the Treasurer of the Club & be the occasion of the annual election of Club Officers.

– An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club may be called following notification to the Club President by 1/3 or over of Full Members. Members must be given prior notice of such a meeting of not less than 7 days.

– Meeting quorum is one quarter of Full Members in good standing.

– Wherever possible, Club decisions will be made on the basis of consensus, otherwise a vote of eligible members present will be taken. In the case of a deadlock, the President will have the final decision. The President has the option of recruiting an external arbitrator in the case of a seriously divisive issue.

5. Officers & Roles

– President: Manage the club, attend a majority of practices, maintain a list of members and supporters, coordinate communication, captain the club in matches along with the Head Coach, ensure Club decisions & priorities are implemented in a proper & timely manner, look after the kit, represent the club publicly, ensure the proper & collaborative functioning of the club’s officers and members, source facilities and equipment to improve the club, chair club meetings.

– Head Coach: Run practices, manage player development, captain the club in matches along with the President, look after the kit, advise on selection with the Head Selector, source facilities and equipment to improve the club, serve as replacement for President as required.

– Treasurer: Account for all funds received, approve all expenses to $250, provide a recommendation to the Executive Committee prior to any expense over $250, manage insurance renewal, government registration and tax declarations, manage indoor hall rental.

– Head Selector: Attend a majority of practices, decide on selection for matches along with the Head Coach, notify players of selection. Selection is a balance between inclusion, competitiveness, and openness for all. Those who put work into the club and attend practice will have a higher priority. If available, a Canadian must play in each game. A few games will require the most competitive side available.

– Fixtures Secretary: Arrange matches for each weekend in summer, liaise with other teams, and coordinate their visit.

There are a number of other duties and roles required to run the club, such as groundskeeping, statistics, website management, fundraiser work, social organisation, secretarial work, etc. Those interested in helping out should make themselves known to the President. All members must take part in executing Club functions & have the choice of which activities for which they will volunteer.

6. Finance

– The Club may seek to raise money via any legal means available to a voluntary organisation in pursuit of the Club aims.

– The Club shall maintain a bank account, with a recommended minimum balance of 500$.

– Signatories to the Club’s account will be the Treasurer, the President & the Head Coach. The President will receive monthly bank statements.

– The Treasurer will report on Club finances at the Annual General Meeting.

– If it is decided at any time the Club is to end, the remaining funds will be given to (The Montreal Children’s Hospital), or any successor body.

7. Code of Conduct

– The Club will abide by the Laws of Cricket as set down by the Marylebone Cricket Club, with local rules applying as agreed by consensus.

– The Club will follow codes of practice set down by the International Cricket Council Code of Conduct.

– All Club Officers & Members will consult, collaborate & support Club decisions, particularly as it relates to activities outside the Club.

– As much as possible members will play matches in whites.

– Club members will attempt to serve as hosts for visiting teams & will provide as much support as the situation allows. They will treat opposing teams with respect & politeness, welcoming opponents to the wicket & giving them a warm send-off. Novice players will be treated gently by all Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes until their familiarity with cricket increases.

– There will be no smoking on the field of play. Park laws & regulations of the grounds take precedence. Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes agree to keep grounds immaculate.

– Discrimination or unbecoming behaviour by any member will not be tolerated. This includes sledging, or any other offensive comments towards a player, umpire or spectator, angry outbursts, intimidatory or excessive appealing in the field, intimidatory bowling & dishonesty.

– Above all, honesty must be adhered to at all times, including ‘walking’ if you know you’re out & declaring ‘grassed’ catches. The captain should withdraw an appeal if he, or one of his players, knows that a batsman has been given out unfairly. Honesty must be adhered to while umpiring.

– In the event an umpire doesn’t understand the rules, or a player or players have a problem with an umpire, only the captain may have a discreet word. Umpires must always be treated with respect. Under no circumstances should anyone shout at, or harass an umpire. The umpire’s judgment is final.

– Players selected for matches must arrive at set-up time, help carry out the work, and remain behind afterwards until clean-up is complete. During games, players are expected to assist in umpiring, scoring, drinks serving & hosting the visiting team.

– Players selected for matches whose circumstances change, who can no longer play, must give advance notice to the captain so a replacement can be sought.

– Pirates, Pirettes, Pipettes and their parents/guardians recognise the risk of injury during practice or play & agree not to hold the Club, its members, or its ground owners liable for any injuries. All players must sign an annual disclaimer before playing.

– Pirates, Pirettes and Pipettes not abiding by the rules may be given warning, suspended, or permanently excluded from the Club following a decision by the Executive Committee at any time. In such circumstances membership fees are non-refundable. Permanent exclusion must be a unanimous decision.

8. Constitutional Changes

All changes to the Pirate Constitution require a vote of two thirds (2/3) of members in good standing & present at a duly constituted Annual Meeting of the Club.