MEMBERSHIP | Darling Downs Panthe

Darling Downs Netball Association Membership Information

New membership
(1) An applicant for membership of the association must be proposed by one (1) member of the association (the proposer) and seconded by another member (the seconder).
(2) An application for membership must be—
(a) in writing; and
(b) signed by the applicant and the applicants proposer and seconder; and
(c) in the form decided by the management committee of the Darling Downs Netball Association Incorporated.
Applicants can refer to Rule 9 for management committee requirements when accepting or rejecting new members.

Classes of members
The membership of the association consists of the following classes:
a) General Members
b) Association Membership
c) Corporate Membership
d) Playing Members
e) Volunteer Members
f) Life Membership

General Members
General membership will be open to any member of the community. The board may, at its discretion, levy an appropriate annual fee for general membership, excluding any members under the age of eighteen years of age at the time of membership.

General members shall be:
(a) effected on acceptance of the player’s membership by the Association
(b) subject to the provisions of these Rules
(c) when participating in activities provided by the Association, subject to the Rules stipulated by the Association and the Association’s governing bodies
(d) are entitled to attend, speak or vote at General Meetings of the Association and nominate for any board position outside of “Association Executive Member”
(e) junior general members under eighteen (18) will not be entitled to vote or speak at any Meetings of the Association or to hold office or otherwise take part in the management of the Association
The number of general members is unlimited.

Association Membership
Association Membership will be open to any Netball Association on the Darling Downs (or other region by consent of the board) that is a financial member of Netball Queensland at the time of application. The board may, at its discretion, levy an appropriate annual fee for Association Membership. This fee will take into account both the size of player base within the association (be it representative or club) and its geographical circumstances.
Association Members shall be:
(a) effected on acceptance of the Associations membership by the Association
(b) subject to the provisions of these Rules
(c) when participating in activities provided by the Association, subject to the Rules stipulated by the Association and the Association’s governing bodies
(d) are entitled to attend, speak or vote at General Meetings of the Association
(e) Must remain a current financial member of Netball Queensland whilst a member of the association
(f) Will not be eligible to nominate for positions on the board outside of the Association Executive Member. Which will be a single seat on the board reserved for Association Members being voted in at the annual general meeting solely by the Association Members as per Rule 19 (1-c).
The number of Association Members will be limited to the current financial member associations of Netball Queensland in the Darling Downs or surrounding areas.

Corporate Members
Corporate members shall be a Company, Business, Co-op, Incorporated Group or Individual entity or any other like structure who supports the Association’s objectives. The board may at its discretion levy an appropriate annual fee for corporate membership or this may be granted as part of in kind or financial sponsorship which has been delivered to the association. The acceptance of corporate membership will be at the discretion of the board and the number of such members also subject to the board’s approval.

Corporate Members shall be:
(a) subject to the provisions of these Rules while participating at Association functions and activities; and
(b) not entitled to attend or vote at any Meetings of the Association or to hold office or otherwise take part in the management of the Association.
(c) Any corporate member, prior to membership acceptance, will be reviewed to ensure its corporate or individual values align itself with that of the association and Netball Queensland. Any entity that cannot be safely classed in this category will automatically be excluded from membership.

Playing Members
Playing Members will be classified as any person who participates in any of the associations programs, teams and competitions these being, but not restricted to, Cubs, Futures and the Panthers playing sides. Playing members will also be classified as any individual who participates in a program or a competition with the association that takes place in more than a single instance. The board will not be entitled to levy a membership fee against this class of membership. Fees and charges for the participation in the reciprocal programs or competitions be it Cubs, Futures, Panthers or any other competition, training or participation program will not be viewed as a charge for this membership type.

Player Members shall be:
(a) effected on acceptance of the player’s membership by the Association
(b) subject to the provisions of these Rules
(c) when participating in activities provided by the Association, subject to the Rules stipulated by the Association and the Association’s governing bodies
(d) not entitled to speak or vote at any Meetings of the Association or to hold office or otherwise take part in the management of the Association

Volunteer Members
Volunteer members will be any person who is a coach, manager, umpire, game day official or any other type of participant who aids in the delivery of any of the association’s undertakings. Any member of the association who is under contract or employed (referring to the receipt of financial remuneration or any other tangible benefit for services provided will not be eligible for this membership type). The board will not be entitled to levy a membership fee against this membership group.

Volunteer Members shall be:
(a) effected on acceptance of the player’s membership by the Association
(b) subject to the provisions of these Rules
(c) when participating in activities provided by the Association, subject to the Rules stipulated by the Association and the Association’s governing bodies
(d) are entitled to attend and speak but not vote at General Meetings of the Association or otherwise take part in the management of the Association
(e) This membership type will not be eligible for election to the management committee
(f) Volunteer members are entitled to hold or apply for General Membership as well as Volunteer membership but any dues and or levies paid under that membership type will apply
(f) Life Member
Shall be a person who has provided lengthy, positive and meritorious services to the Association and meets the criteria as set by the Association and whose nomination has been passed by the Board and confirmed by a majority of members present at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

Life Members shall be:
(a) subject to the provisions of these Rules and all Rules of the activity
(b) exempt from the payment of membership fees only
(c) they shall be entitled to attend all General Meetings of the Association and entitled to speak and vote.
(d) be afforded all the entitlements offered to Life Members
The Life Members numbers shall be limited so that no more than two (2) Life Memberships are nominated in any one year.
Life membership shall represent the highest honour that can be afforded to any member of the association and as such should only be granted to those who have provided exceptional service to the region.

Membership fees
(1) The membership fee for each general membership and for each other class of membership that are eligible
(a) is the amount decided by the Board from time to time but will be endorsed at a general meeting; and
(b) is payable when, and in the way, the management committee decides.
i. Fee ledger once agreed upon at General Meeting, will supersede any of those before.
(2) A member under the previous association constitution who, before becoming a member, has paid the members annual subscription for membership of the association on or before a day fixed by the management committee, is not liable to pay a further amount of annual subscription for the period before the day fixed by the management committee as the day on which the next annual subscription is payable.

Admission and Rejection of new members
(1) The management committee must consider an application for membership at the next committee meeting held after it receives—
(a) the application for membership; and
(b) the appropriate membership fee for the application.
(2) The management committee must ensure that, as soon as possible after the person applies to become a member of the association, and before the management committee considers the persons application, the person is advised—
(a) whether or not the association has public liability insurance; and
(b) if the association has public liability insurance—the amount of the insurance.
(3) The management committee must decide at the meeting whether to accept or reject the application.
(4) If a majority of the members of the management committee present at the meeting vote to accept the applicant as a member, the applicant must be accepted as a member for the class of membership applied for.
(5) The secretary of the association must, as soon as practicable after the management committee decides to accept or reject an application, give the applicant a written notice of the decision and appeal options if request was rejected.