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1.
Name and objects
The Association shall be called MALTA TENNIS FEDERATION
(FEDERAZZJONI MALTIJA TENNIS). The objects of the
Federation shall be to promote the interests of the game of
tennis in Malta, to sanction, co-ordinate and maintain a
standard for such competitions as are approved by the
Federation, to decide any disputed matters which arise in
the game, to ensure that all affiliated bodies abide by the
laws of the game a laid down by the International Tennis
Federation, and to carry out acts which are deemed desirable
in the interests of the game.
2.
Affiliation and Membership
The Malta Tennis Federation is a full member of the
International Tennis Federation, Tennis Europe, the Maltese
Olympic Committee and the Malta Sports Council; it may also
at its discretion seek association / affiliation /
membership to other bodies and may subscribe to any
organisation it deems fit in the best interest of the game.
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All
apolitical clubs / organisations / associations /
participating in the Federation’s activities may be
affiliated to the Federation. Such clubs / organisations
/ associations shall notify the Federation of the date
of their Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General
Meeting and the names and addresses of their elected
President and Secretary. They shall also forward an up
to date copy of their statute whenever this is amended.
The Malta Tennis Federation may send a representative to
the A.G.M. / E.G.M. of the various clubs
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Only
bona fide clubs and organisations / associations
acceptable to the M.T.F. shall be affiliated.
3.
Constitution
The Federation shall consist of:
a)
Directly affiliated clubs:
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‘A’
Member Clubs who are sanctioned by the M.T.F. to
organise one or more international events held locally,
organise local events, and have 50 [fifty] or more
tennis players registered with the M.T.F;
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‘B’
Member Clubs being clubs that organise local events, and
have 30 [thirty] or more tennis players registered with
the M.T.F;
b)
Indirectly affiliated clubs being clubs that organise local
events but have less than 30 [thirty] tennis players
registered with the M.T.F;
4.
Membership
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The
subscription shall be paid by the 31st January of each
year. Clubs or organisations under any pecuniary
liability by the 1st April shall not (at the discretion
of the Council) be allowed to attend General Meetings of
to take part in any activities or enjoy any of the
benefits of the Federation.
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A
club shall be required to stage at least one of the
following activities on a yearly basis namely:
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During the month of September of each year, the
Executive shall review the position of all clubs and
ensure that these are in line with the requirements laid
down in its Statute.
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Should the Executive believe that a club or clubs fall
short of the requirements laid down in the Statute, they
shall submit each case separately to the Council that is
to be convened by the end of the month of September to
decide the matter by either confirming the club or clubs
status as a compliant member or else may decide to
freeze the club or clubs membership, thereby freezing
their membership rights including the right to vote.
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Any
Member and another Member seconding such Member may
submit a request to the Executive to review the
operation of a particular club and the Executive is to
report its review of the said club to the Council that
is to be convened by the end of the month of September
to decide the matter by either confirming the club or
clubs status as a compliant member or else may decide to
freeze the club or clubs membership, thereby freezing
its membership rights including the right to vote.
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In no
circumstance may a decision to freeze a clubs membership
be taken later than the month of October of the said
calendar year.
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A
club which has been informed that its status has been
frozen may take measures to rectify its position and
shall subsequently submit to the Council a request to re
activate its Membership status. The Council shall decide
such matter by the end of the month of December and such
decision shall be final. A fresh request for review may
be entered at any time following the Annual General
Meeting.
5.
Governing Body
a) The governing body of the Federation shall consist of the
Council and the Executive.
b) The Executive shall be made up of the President, the
Deputy President, the Financial Officer and the Secretary
General.
c) The Council will be composed of the Executive together
with one representative from each club directly affiliated
to the M.T.F. as well as one representative
nominated by all indirectly affiliated clubs as defined in
rule 3. All will have power to vote.
d) The representative of the indirectly affiliated clubs
shall be elected for a period of two years (coinciding with
the election of the Executive) during the meeting held for
this purpose either before the Annual General Meeting, or if
there arises a vacancy within one month of such vacancy.
During the same meeting a substitute delegate shall be
elected to attend the Council when the representative cannot
attend. Only indirectly affiliated clubs shall vote for
their representative and substitute delegate. Indirectly
affiliated clubs will have a representative on the Council
provided that there is a minimum of three (3) such clubs.
e) All clubs or organisations are to nominate their
representatives within two weeks of the Annual General
Meeting.
f) Representatives failing to attend three consecutive
Council meetings shall have to be substituted by their club
and shall not be allowed to represent their club for the
ensuing part of the administrative year.
g) The quorum of a Council meeting shall be six (6)
including the members of the Executive, and for a General
Meeting 25% of the number entitled to be present and to
vote. In the absence of a quorum, a General Meeting will be
held half an hour later when business may be carried out,
provided that at least five voting members are present.
Should there be less than five voting members present, the
Chairman shall adjourn the meeting by not more than 30 days.
h) When in Council or General Meetings, a decision by a bare
majority is required, should this result in a draw, a second
vote shall be taken. Should this also prove to be
inconclusive, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.
6.
Subscriptions
The annual subscription, which may be altered by the Council
when deemed necessary, shall be:
1. Lm15.00,0 for directly affiliated clubs;
2. Lm 5.00,0 for indirectly affiliated clubs;
The
subscription shall be paid by the 31st January of each year.
Clubs or organisations under any pecuniary liability by the
1st April shall not (at the discretion of the Council) be
allowed to attend General Meetings of to take part in any
activities or enjoy any of the benefits of the Federation.
Each club
or organisation shall be responsible to see that players
registered with the M.T.F. will pay Lm1 per year (juniors
under 18 years of age – 50 cents) to the Federation.
Those
players taking part in tournaments and activities organised
and / or sanctioned by the Federation must be registered
with the M.T.F. The participation fee in itself does not
constitute registration.
7.
(1) Powers of the Council
The Council shall:
a) carry out the objects of the Federation as specified in
Rule 1;
b) appoint any one of its members to act on the committee of
management of an official tournament or open / tournament
competitions in the Maltese Islands;
c) be the final authority for the interpretation of the game
and the Rules of Tennis;
d) authorise the organisation of open tournaments an to
prohibit the holding of unauthorised open / international
tennis tournaments;
e) prohibit any act or practice by clubs or organisations
etc. which in the opinion of the Council is detrimental to
the interest of the game;
f) inflict penalties on clubs, organisations, committees,
persons for any infringement of the Rules of the game, Rules
and Regulations of the Federation, or for conduct which in
the opinion of the Council is detrimental to the interest of
the game;
g) consider and deal with all applications for direct or
indirect affiliation and decide all questions as to the
right to representation at meetings;
h) decide all questions of eligibility of persons nominated
for the Council;
i) enlist for co-option for any purpose the services of
outsiders;
j) form sub-committees for any special purpose;
k) appoint, if it deems necessary an Assistant Secretary
General, and Public Relations Officer;
l) consider and suspend Council members who without the
prior authority of the Federation deal with, divulge to
outsiders or contribute to the media on matters pertaining
to the M.T.F.
(2)
Functions of the Executive Council
3. Members of the Executive Council shall have the power
to:-
a) deal with all business of the M.T.F. (not policy);
b) see to the day to day management according to the policy
set by the Council;
c) deal with urgent business of the M.T.F. on behalf of the
M.T.F. These decisions are to be ratified later at the first
Council Meeting;
d) raise funds and take charge of tams representing the
M.T.F.;
e) do anything which is ancillary to or connected with the
above Powers of the Executive Council;
f) attend ex officio any sub-committee meeting.
4.
Duties of the Officers forming the Administrative Council;
a) The PRESIDENT shall be responsible for calling all
meetings of the Council and shall preside at all Council
meetings. He shall have unlimited authority over every
question of order unless challenged or overruled by a
majority of the members present. The President shall have a
casting vote in addition to his ordinary vote.
b) The
DEPUTY PRESIDENT shall perform the duties of the
President in the latter’s absence and together with the
President shall be directly responsible to represent the
M.T.F with all local and international bodies to which the
M.T.F is a member.
c) The
FINANCE OFFICER shall be shall be responsible for all
matters relating to Finance including matters involving the
funds of the M.T.F. and the maintenance of proper books of
account. He shall maintain an account with a bank. All
cheques shall be signed by any two members of the Executive
duly appointed for that purpose.
d) The
SECRETARY GENERAL shall summon Council meetings, keep
the minutes of each meeting, look after the correspondence
of the M.T.F., and help the President to prepare the agenda
of each meeting.
8.
The Annual General Meeting
a) The Annual General Meeting shall be convened on any day
during the month of January for the purpose of:-
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Reading of the minutes of the last A.G.M. and E.G.M.
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The
President’s Annual Report
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The
Financial Report
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Election of the Executive
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Appointment of an Auditor
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Any
other matter of which due notice has been given in
writing to the Council fifteen (15) days before.
b) The
Agenda of the A.G.M. shall be circulated to each club not
less than twenty one
(21) days prior to the date of the meeting.
c) (i) Each directly affiliated club as per rule 3 (a) may
send up to two members
with power to vote. Those clubs with over fifty M.T.F.
registered players may send
up to a maximum of three members with power to vote.
(ii) Indirectly affiliated clubs may send one member with
power to vote.
d) The accidental non-receipt of a notice by any affiliated
body shall not invalidate the proceeding of a General Meeting.
e) Retirement of Officers – The term of office for each
member of the Executive shall
be as follows:
President
- a four year term;
Deputy President - a three year term;
Finance Officer - a three year term;
Secretary General
- a three year term;
The members of the Executive shall continue to hold office
until to conclusion of
the yearly A.G.M. at which they retire when their term of
office expires. Any
casual vacancy occurring in the aforesaid offices may be
filled up by an E.G.M.
f) Nominations – Candidates for members of the Executive
namely President, Deputy
President, Finance Officer and Secretary should be duly
proposed and seconded
thirty (30) days prior to the A.G.M with the exception of
the post of President who
is to be proposed and seconded sixty (60) days prior to the
A.G.M. Each official
shall be proposed and seconded by two different clubs. Such
nominations shall be
duly signed by an authorised official of the Club. Any non
compliance with the said
form of nomination shall automatically disqualify a
candidate.
g) On election the President shall not hold any other
administrative office on the
committees of tennis clubs and tennis organisations. All
members of the Executive
shall also have to declare any direct business interests in
the game.
h) The nomination of Honorary Presidents and of Honorary
Members may be
proposed and approved during the A.G.M.
i) Only members representing their clubs will be allowed to
be present during the
Annual General Meeting. However each club may nominate one
additional person
to attend as observer, provided that he is a Committee
Member of that club.
9. Special General Meetings
a) An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held not more
than four weeks after the
Council shall have received a request in writing from not
less than two directly of
four indirectly (or one directly and two indirectly)
affiliated bodies. Such a request
shall state the matter to be discussed.
b) The Council shall give not less than fifteen days’ notice
of a General Meeting to all
clubs and organisations entitled to attend. Such notice
shall set for the Agenda for
the meeting.
10. Alteration to the Rules
Any alterations to these rules shall be made only in a
General Meeting after at least
fifteen days due notice, on majority of two-thirds of the
members present and voting.
11. Auditor
An auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
12. Financial Year
The Financial Year of the Federation shall be from the 1st
January to the 31st December.
13. Honours
The Council may at its discretion award colours emblems,
certificates of prizes and
may confer honorary distinctions.
14. Tournaments
Clubs or organisations intending to hold tournaments should
advise the Council by the
end of December of each year of the dates such tournaments
are being held. The
Council will try to avoid tournaments clashing with one
another.
15. Conditions Governing Players
The Council has full power to suspend any player who fails
to comply with any of the
following conditions :
a) A player must at all times accept the authority of the
Federation.
b) When playing in any event under the jurisdiction of
another National Association, a
player is required to comply with the rules of that National
Association.
c) A player shall place himself at the disposal of the
Federation when required to
prepare for and to take part in events for which he may be
selected to represent his
country. If he declines without good reason, he shall render
himself / herself liable
to be suspended.
d) A player shall not play in a tournament, match,
exhibition match or against a person
who is under suspension.
e) A player shall not contribute under his own name to the
press, broadcast or
television, in regard to or during time of any tournament in
which he is entered as a
player, except with the previous approval of the Federation.
f) A player shall not advertise in any way within the
precincts of a tournament, match
or competition in which he is entered as a competitor if so
directed by the M.T.F.
16.
Applications
Applications for direct or indirect affiliation must be made
to the Secretary and the reception and rejection of such
application shall be at the discretion of the Council, whose
decision shall be final.
17.
Registration
Any affiliated club may resign its membership of the
Federation provided notice in writing reaches the Hon.
Secretary by the 31st December otherwise the club shall be
liable for payment of the subscription for the following
year.
18.
Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the Federation, its assets after all
debts and liabilities have been paid, shall be disposed of
in accordance with the wishes of the majority of those
entitled to vote at the General Meetings.
As
amended by the Annual General Meeting held on the 30th
January 2007, the Extraordinary General Meeting held on the
26th April 2007, and the Annual General Meeting held on the
31st January 2011. |
