The Management Committee has reviewed the Club’s Constitution and identified a need to update this. 

Since it began, the Club has enjoyed charitable status, and there are no plans to change this.  However a new legal structure is now available that offers the benefits of charitable status, but with added protections similar to company status. 

The Committee believes this is prudent given the size of the Club’s turnover, and the fact that it employs staff.

At the Annual General Meeting on 22nd May a motion will be put to a vote that, if passed, will result in the Club applying to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO.)

The Club’s Constitution will need to be amended to fit with SCIO status.  It is not anticipated that this will have any impact on the service the Club offers.  While there will be a tightening of legal obligations, these will not be significantly different from the good practice that the Committee is endeavouring to follow and, as such, will be welcome.

What would change, however, is that the Club’s membership would be more clearly defined and recorded, and members – the parents and guardians of children attending the Club – would have ultimate legal control over the Club.  With this control would be an obligation to act in good fair and consistent with the Club’s charitable purpose, for example when voting at Annual General Meetings.

You can download the Springfield Out of School Care Club Constitution (Draft April 2013) here.

If you would like to discuss the proposed change with the Committee please email committee@springfield-club.co.uk.

The following motions were agreed at the AGM in May 2013

1. That the Management Committee (Board) makes an application on behalf of the membership to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator for Springfield Out-of-School Care Club (SOoSCC) to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO.)
2. That criteria for membership of SOoSCC in the Club’s Constitution is defined as:
   • Parents or guardians of children aged up to 14 and attending Linlithgow schools;
   • Who have signed a form registering one or more children at the club, and whose membership fee has been paid and accepted;
   • The Board has the right to terminate membership if it is deemed that serious breach of club rules has taken place including, but not limited to, non-payment of service usage fees.
3. That provision for the Club’s Board is set out in the Constitution as follows:
   • Comprising a minimum of 6, and a maximum of 9 members
   • Comprising four office bearer positions; Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer
   • Board members elected at Annual General Meeting for a 2-year term
   • Election of office bearers to take place in alternating years; Chair and Treasurer in one year, Vice Chair and Secretary in the next year.
   • Co-option of additional Board-members and creation of sub-groups may take place at the Committee’s discretion
   • Meeting a minimum of five times over a 12 month period between Annual General Meetings