Index

Name
Objective
Administration
Membership
Affiliation
Annual Delegates Meeting
Special General Meeting
Executive Committee
Duties of the Executive Committee
Gauteng Clubs
Awarding of Provincial Colours
Dissolution

1. Name

The Association will be known as the Gauteng Hunter Field Target Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association” or “GHFTA”).

2. Objective

Being the provincial governing body for the sport of Hunter Field Target shooting in Gauteng, the objects of the Association are:

To promote, encourage, and support the sport of Hunter Field Target shooting in Gauteng;
To promote, encourage, and support the safe and lawful use of air rifles;
To promote, encourage and support responsible behaviour towards fellow participants, spectators and the environment in which Hunter Field Target shooting is conducted;
To encourage and assist the formation of new Hunter Field Target clubs in Gauteng;
To work in the closest possible harmony with the South African Hunter Field Target Organisation (SAHFTA) and accept the South African Hunter Field Target Association as the national governing body for Hunter Field Target shooting;
To accept the role of protector and public relations agency in the furtherance of the sport and its projected image to the world at large; and
To cooperate with and support any other shooting, sporting, or associated body on matters of mutual interest to achieve any of the foregoing objectives, but without such cooperation infringing in any way upon the independence of the Association or its members.

3. Administration

3.1 General

Subject to the matters set out below, the Association and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with this Constitution by the members of the Executive Committee of the Association (hereafter “Committee”).
Any changes to the Constitution may only be made by special resolution at a general or special meeting of the Association.

3.2 Financial Year

The financial year of the Association is each period of 12 months ending on 28 February.

3.3 Management of Funds

The Association must manage an account with a financial institution from which all expenditure of the Association is made and into which all of the Association’s revenue is deposited. All funds of the Association must be deposited no later than 5 working days after receipt. As an alternative, the Association’s funds may be managed by a relevant club in Gauteng.
Subject to any restrictions imposed by a general meeting of the Association, the Committee may approve expenditure on behalf of the Association.
The Committee may authorise the Treasurer to expend funds on behalf of the Association (including by electronic funds transfer) up to a specified limit without requiring approval from the Committee for each item on which the funds are expended.
All transfers, cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments above the specified limit must be signed by 2 committee members.
With the approval of the Committee, the Treasurer may maintain a cash float provided that all money paid from or paid into the float is accurately recorded at the time of the transaction.

3.4 Not-for-Profit Organisation

The Association must not distribute any surplus, income, or assets directly or indirectly to its office-bearers or members.

3.5 Communication

No provision of the Constitution shall be interpreted in such a manner that it excludes the use of e-mail, conference call, video conference call, or other similar technological advance to achieve the goals of the Constitution.

4. Membership

Membership of the Association shall be open to the public who accept the Association as the provincial governing body of Hunter Field Target shooting in Gauteng.
Application for membership of the Association should be made to the secretary of an Affiliated Club with SAHFTA in writing, supported by copies of the supporting documentation needed to become a member of the affiliated club (Identity Document and Club Documentation). The secretary shall submit such application to the executive committee, who will consider such application at its earliest convenience.
The executive committee may suspend or terminate the membership of any member, providing that:
1. The member has been informed by the secretary of the Association in writing of the proposed suspension or termination, and the reason therefore.
2. The member has the right to be heard by the executive committee and, if desired, be accompanied by a representative(s).
3. Any decision of the executive committee must be unanimous, any member of the subject matter having no vote in this instance.
Reprimand, suspension or expulsion of a member club. Whenever, by a majority vote of the whole number of the elected and serving members of the Committee, the Committee is of the opinion that the behaviour or conduct of a Member Club has been harmful, prejudicial, or injurious to the objectives, interests, good order, or character of the Association, the Committee shall have the power to:
1. Reprimand such Member Club in writing.
2. Suspend such Member Club from all privileges of membership for a period not exceeding six (6) months where, in the opinion of the Committee, its conduct is not sufficiently serious to justify expulsion, without entitlement to a refund of any fee or subscription paid or due by it; or expel such Member Club, which shall thereupon be debarred from all privileges of Association membership.
Before any reprimand, suspension, disqualification or expulsion of a Member Club, the Member Club shall be afforded a full opportunity to explain or justify its conduct to the Committee.
A Member Club that has been reprimanded, suspended, disqualified or expelled shall have the right to appeal against such decision to the Members of the Association in a Special General Meeting. Such appeal must be lodged in writing with the Chairperson or Secretary within thirty (30) days of receipt of the notification of the decision. The Chairperson or Secretary shall take immediate steps to convene the Special General Meeting. At this meeting:
1. The case against the Member Club shall be presented by one (1) member of the Committee on behalf of the Committee.
2. The Member Club shall be given an equal opportunity to defend itself.
3. The Member Club shall not have the right to legal representation but may compile and present written representations.
4. A resolution to reverse or vary the Committee’s decision shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Members with voting rights present at the Special General Meeting. The vote shall be taken by open or secret ballot as may be decided by a simple majority of the Members present at that meeting.
Where appropriate, the Association shall be entitled to pursue legal action against any Member Club found guilty of misconduct.

5. Affiliation

The Association shall be known as the Gauteng Hunter Field Target Association and shall be the governing body for its Member Clubs within the Province of Gauteng.
Affiliation to the Association is open exclusively to properly constituted clubs, organisations, or associations whose headquarters and primary area of operation are situated within the provincial borders of Gauteng.
No club or organisation operating outside the borders of Gauteng shall be eligible for affiliation or membership of the Association.
Member Clubs are encouraged to foster a spirit of cooperation, mutual support, and good sportsmanship with other Member Clubs, particularly those located within a radius of one hundred and fifty kilometres (150 km) of each other. This support may include, but is not limited to, sharing of resources, joint training initiatives, fixture exchanges, and mutual assistance in the development and promotion of the sport.
Applications for affiliation shall be made in writing to the Secretary of the Association and shall be accompanied by:
1. a copy of the applicant club’s constitution;
2. proof of the club’s headquarters and operational area being within Gauteng;
3. the names and contact details of its office bearers; and
4. such other information as the Committee may require.
The Committee shall have the sole discretion to approve or reject any application for affiliation.
Registration as an affiliated shooter is renewable annually.

6. Annual Delegates Meeting

An annual general meeting of delegates (hereinafter referred to as the “delegates meeting”) will be held within 1 month after the end of each financial year.
The secretary of the executive committee shall call the delegates meeting on at least 21 days’ notice, for a time and venue approved by the executive committee. Such notice and an agenda for the meeting shall be sent to the secretary of each member club and the members of the executive committee.
Each member club may nominate two of its members to represent the member club at the delegates’ meeting and vote on behalf of the club. A majority of member clubs shall constitute a quorum at the delegates’ meeting.
If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the time the Delegates Meeting was called for, then such meeting shall stand adjourned for a period of between 14 and 21 days, as directed by the Chairman, when it shall be held upon not less than 7 days’ notice. Such members as may be present at the Adjourned meeting shall then constitute a quorum of the Delegates Meeting.
The following business will be conducted at the delegates’ meeting:
1. Consideration and adoption or rejection of the minutes of the previous year’s delegates meeting, with or without amendment.
2. Submission of an annual report from the Chairman.
3. Consideration and adoption or rejection of the annual financial statements for the preceding financial year, including all other financial matters.
4. Election of an executive committee.
5. Any other contingency of which any member had given notice to the secretary of the executive committee in writing, during the course of the year preceding the date of the delegates meeting; provided that such notice be given no less than 7 days prior to the date of the delegates meeting.
Voting upon all motions at the delegates’ meeting shall be effected by a secret ballot. Every member club shall have one vote on any resolution. Every resolution shall be decided by a majority of those present. Changes to the Constitution of the Association need to be approved by a 2/3 majority. In the case of a tied vote, the chairman shall have a casting vote, which must be in favour of the status quo.
The Chairman shall preside at the delegates’ meeting. If, for any reason, the Chairman is unable to take the chair, the Vice-Chairman, or failing him, any nominated member of the Committee shall preside.
Nominations for election to the executive committee of the Association must be made by members of the Association in writing to the secretary of the executive committee not less than 7 days prior to the delegates’ meeting. The person nominated must confirm in writing his or her willingness to stand. Should nominees exceed vacancies, the election shall be by vote.
Copies of the minutes of the meeting shall be forwarded to all executive committee members and member clubs within one month of the meeting.

7. Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting may be called by the Chairman or Secretary on 7 days’ notice. Such notice and an agenda for the meeting shall be sent to all members stating the purpose of the Special General Meeting.
The Secretary shall be obliged to call a Special General Meeting if requested to do so in writing by 2 or more members. Any written request for a Special General Meeting must state the purpose of such a meeting.
Should elections be necessary, nominations must be made by members of the Association in writing to the secretary prior to the start of the meeting. The person nominated must confirm in writing his or her willingness to stand. Should nominees exceed vacancies, the election shall be by vote.

8. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Technical Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, and Development and Liaison Officer. The Executive Committee should consist of all the chairpersons of the affiliated clubs within the borders of Gauteng.
All members of the executive committee shall be members of a SAHFTA affiliated club and registered as affiliated shooters and have a National Log Track of one (1) year minimum with the Association.
The executive committee shall be elected at the annual delegates meeting and shall hold office from the conclusion of the vote.
The executive committee shall retire from office during the next annual delegates meeting following their election, and may be eligible for re-election.
Members of the executive committee are not liable for any of the obligations and liabilities of the Association, solely by virtue of their status as office-bearers of the Association. Furthermore, office-bearers are not personally liable for any loss suffered by any person as a result of an act of omission which occurs in good faith while the office-bearer is performing functions for or on behalf of the Association.
A member of the executive committee shall cease to hold office if he or she:
1. ceases to be a member of a member club; or
2. becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness, or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs;
3. gives notice to the executive committee that he or she wishes to resign and a date from which he or she wishes that notice to be effective; or
4. is removed by special resolution at a Special General Meeting.
The executive committee may, in its discretion, appoint additional non-voting co-opted members to the executive committee to fill any post deemed necessary. Any co-opted member must meet the requirements in sections 8.1 to 8.6.

9. Duties of the Executive Committee

The primary duties of the executive committee are to ensure that the constitution of the Association is upheld, oversee the activities of the Association, and to make resources available to execute its duties. The executive committee shall at all times act in the best interest of the Association and the sport of Hunter Field Target shooting.

In furtherance of these duties, the executive committee will adopt national shooting rules, adopt a code of conduct, publish an annual shooting calendar, and record, publish, and distribute competition results.

9.1 Chairman Duties

The Chairman shall take accountability for the execution of duties by the executive committee. Other duties are as set out below.

The Chairman will convene and preside at meetings.
The Chairman will have a vote at meetings and, in the case of a tied vote, shall have a casting vote.
The Chairman will be substituted by the Vice-Chairman in his/her absence.
The Chairman will ensure that the activities of individuals, clubs, the provincial body, and the executive committee shall not bring the Association into disrepute.
The Chairman will ensure that all the Association’s business is done in line with the constitution.
The Chairman will chair disciplinary actions or appoint the Vice-Chair to chair disciplinary actions, where deemed necessary, against individuals or clubs.
The Chairman will approve all official communication to members and clubs.
The Chairman will seek and maintain affiliation on behalf of the Association with Provincial Organisations, where it is in the Association’s best interest.
The Chairman will liaise directly with SAHFTA on behalf of the Association.

9.2 Vice-Chairman Duties

The Vice-Chairman shall abide by the guidelines stipulated below.

The Vice-Chairman will act for the Chairman in his/her absence.
The Vice-Chairman will convene and preside at sub-committee meetings for the Chairman in his/her absence.
The Vice-Chairman will have a deliberative vote at sub-committee meetings and, in the case of an equal vote, shall have a casting vote for the Chairman in his/her absence.
The Vice-Chairman shall ensure that a Code of Conduct is adopted and present written submissions to the executive committee for amendments to the Code of Conduct.
The Vice-Chairman may assist other executive committee members where such a need arises.

9.3 Technical Officer Duties

The Technical Officer shall ensure that the Provincial Shooting Rules are in accordance with SAHFTA rules.

The Technical Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that all matches hosted under the auspices of the Association are run in the spirit of the rules.
The Technical Officer shall have the responsibility of match director during the provincial Trials.
The Technical Officer shall adjudicate in all matters pertaining to the interpretation of the rules. The decision of the Technical Officer regarding the interpretation of the rules shall be final.
The Technical Officer shall present written submissions to the executive committee for proposed amendments to the National Shooting Rules, to be presented to SAHFTA for their consideration.

9.4 Secretary Duties

The Secretary is the official mouthpiece for the Association.

Only communication from the Secretary that was approved by the Committee and subsequently circulated by the Secretary will be accepted as a true reflection of decisions at the Association’s meetings.
The Secretary will control and manage all administrative affairs.
The Secretary will keep on record copies of all correspondence that the Chairman or an executive committee member attends to in the name of the Association.
The Secretary will record the minutes of all executive committee meetings and circulate these to the members.
The Secretary will record and furnish minutes of annual delegates meetings to all members to reach them not later than 7 days after the annual delegates meeting.
The Secretary will publish an annual shooting calendar listing all Provincial League Series matches and all other matches hosted by the Association.

9.5 Treasurer Duties

The Treasurer will receive all monies on behalf of the Association and cause the same to be deposited in the account of the Association.
The Treasurer will keep a complete set of books of all financial affairs.
The Treasurer will compile a financial statement at the end of each financial year and submit an account to the annual delegates meeting or when requested by the executive committee.
An annual budget must be presented to the annual delegates meeting.
The Treasurer shall ensure that a bank account is maintained to manage the financial business of the Association.
All requests for finances or financial assistance must be submitted in writing and must be accompanied by a motivation for the need. These requests shall be presented to the executive committee for decision.
Only the Treasurer and another mandated executive committee member shall have signature rights for withdrawals from the bank account. The Treasurer will have primary signing powers, with the mandated committee member having secondary signing powers. In all cases, these will be separate.

9.6 Development and Liaison Officer Duties

The Development and Liaison Officer shall actively seek opportunities to promote Hunter Field Target shooting in Gauteng and, where required, work closely with the Chairman to liaise with other air rifle organisations.

The Development and Liaison Officer will organise display or demonstration shoots on behalf of the Association at commercial shows, schools, and other venues.
The Development and Liaison Officer may co-opt assistance from executive committee members where necessary.
The Development and Liaison Officer shall actively seek opportunities to promote and introduce Hunter Field Target shooting.
The Development and Liaison Officer shall actively seek sponsorship for the Provincial Team.

10. Gauteng Clubs

Where 2 or more member clubs exist in Gauteng, such clubs shall be entitled to a separate league series of matches, unless the best interests of the sport dictate otherwise.
All member clubs in the Gauteng Province must form part of the Gauteng Hunter Field Target Association.
When hosting a Provincial shoot, a minimum of 10 participants must be taking part in the shoot to make it a valid Provincial shoot.
The fee for club members to be part of the Gauteng Hunter Field Target Association will be included in the annual fee for SAHFTA membership.

11. Awarding of Provincial Colours

The issuing of provincial colours is controlled by the Gauteng Sport Federation. Members are eligible for provincial colours subject to the following criteria:

Only GHFTA SAHFTA registered members are eligible for provincial colours within the borders of Gauteng.
The minimum qualifying criterion to enable an affiliated shooter to enter a Provincial League is a minimum of 6 League Shoots with an average of 60% on the SAHFTA National Log.
In provinces where Member Clubs are sufficiently concentrated, at least sixty percent (60%) of the six (6) League Shoots required above must be completed at Member Clubs (not Home Club) situated within a radius of one hundred and fifty kilometres (150 km) of the shooter’s home club.
The requirement above shall only apply in provinces (or regions within a province) where it is reasonably practicable, having regard to the geographic distribution of Member Clubs as determined by the Committee with reference to clause 5.4 of this Constitution. In provinces or areas where significant distances exist between Member Clubs (typically more than 150 km), this 60% proximity requirement shall not apply.
The Committee shall annually publish a list of which provinces are subject to the 150 km requirement prior to the start of the league season.
The minimum qualifying criterion (MQC) for qualification to be eligible for provincial colours is 6 League Shoots in the Gauteng Province and an MQC of 75% on the SAHFTA National Log, prior to participation at the Provincial League championships event.
The Provincial Colours will be awarded as follows in their separate divisions:
1. Only the overall top six (6) Senior Shooters, for people 18 years and older (consisting of the following divisions: Open, Recoil, Ladies, Veterans), who have qualified as per 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3.
2. Only the overall top six (6) Junior Shooters, for people 13 to 17 years of age (consisting of the following division: Under 18), who have qualified as per 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3.
3. The maximum number of participants that can represent their province at a national championship event is six (6) and will consist of the top six (6) combined shooters between both Senior and Junior divisions.
A special award can be presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional dedication to the sport, such as sportsmanship or administration. However, they do need to be an affiliated member of SAHFTA. Nominations must be made at club level, submitted to the provincial committee with motivation, and ratified by SAHFTA before being awarded by the applicable provincial body/federation.
Once Colours are awarded, they are held for life.
The provincial sports colours shall be blue as a dominating colour, with a combination of gold and white.
The provincial colour emblem shall consist of a blue shield (blue represents the order and stability of the sport) with gold trimming (gold represents the value and excellence of the sport). Inside the shield on the background, there will be half a target, and the other half will be a partial silhouette map of the Gauteng area in white (white represents the purity of the sport as well as the spirit in which the sport should be partaken in). In the foreground there will be a shooting athlete in blue and white with the wording: top of shield “Gauteng” in gold; middle of shield under the silhouette “the division”, i.e. “Senior / Junior + HFT” in gold; and directly underneath “Provincial Colours” in white.
The GHFTA Cap and Badge and any apparel shall be agreed upon across clubs and must always be consistent with the Rules of HFT.

12. Dissolution

The Association can only be dissolved by special resolution at a Delegates Meeting, or Special General Meeting specifically called for that purpose.
A resolution to dissolve the Association must be carried by a 2/3 majority of all member clubs.
In the event of dissolution, the surplus assets (after the settlement of all debts and expenses) of the Association must not be distributed to any office-bearers, members, or former members of the Association, but must be passed to the national governing body, SAHFTA.

GHFTA Constitution