ARTICLE ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE ASSOCIATION.
The copy below is an article printed on the 17th October 1931 in the Ireland Saturday Night.
SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
NEW ORGANISATION FORMED
ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS.
A special meeting was held in the I.F.A. offices this morning. Mr. C .A Abraham B.A. presiding. All the local schools members and also representatives from Ballymoney and Coleraine were present. The business of the meeting was to consider a new constitution for the government of schools football, with a council of elected representatives from each district league or association, the council to consist of a chairman, vice chairman, hon. treasurer and two secretaries, together with one representative for every four teams in membership of a district association or league.
The principle is much on the same lines as in the cross-Channel schools associations, to ensure that the country districts would have representation on the council and consequently a voice in the government.
Following a short discussion, the proposed constitution was unanimously adopted including the change of name to “The Irish Schools Football Association” and the following officers elected for the season 1931-32.
Chairman, Mr. C. A. Abraham, B.A. ,Woodvale P.E. School ; Vice Chairman , Mr. R. Kirkpatrick , Ravenscroft P.E. School ; hon. treasurer, Mr. T. MacFarlane, Strand P.E. School ; hon. treasurer , Mr. W. P.Brown, Irish Society’s School , Coleraine; secretary , Mr. W. H. M’Clatchey.
The local body will in future be known as Belfast and District League, and the officers appointed at the meeting in June will retain office till June next. These officers differ in three cases only, the vice-chairman being Mr. W. A. Boyd, Euston St. P.E.S. ; hon. treasurer, Mr. James Anderson, Glenwood P.E. School ;
hon. secretary, Mr. D. M’Cullough, Templemore Avenue P.E. School.
The present structure has evolved over the years from the earliest recorded pre-war Schools’ Football Associations.
These were 1924 BELFAST S.F.A. 1928 COLERAINE S.F.A. 1928 N.I. DAY TECH. S.S.A. 1932 EAST ANTRIM S.F.A. 1936 MID-ULSTER S.F.A. 1936 LISBURN S.F.A.
NORTHERN IRELAND SCHOOLS’ FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
TITLE
The Association shall be called the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association.
AIMS
The aims of the Association shall be:-
1. The mental, moral and physical development and improvement of school pupils through the medium of association football.
2. To help such charities and other charitable purposes as the Association may decide.
3. To promote and encourage the development of Schools’ Football at various levels both nationally and internationally.
MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership of the Association shall be open to individual Schools’ Football Leagues or District Associations in Northern Ireland (hereafter in these rules referred to as ‘Organisations’ ).
2. All affiliated Organisations and their schools must agree to abide by the rules of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association.
3. All affiliated schools must be insured under a scheme approved by the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association.
LIFE MEMBERS
Life Membership shall from time to time be conferred on former school teachers who have spent many years working for the development of schools’ football in Northern Ireland. They shall be entitled to:-
1. Receive a memento.
2. Attend meetings of the Association.
3. Be on the Association’s mailing list.
4. Receive an invitation to each Home International.
5. Receive invitations to Receptions if numbers permit.
6. Wear Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association uniform.
HONORARY PATRONS
Honorary Patronship may from time to time be conferred on persons who by virtue of their personal contribution to and enthusiasm for Schools’ Football, despite not being members of the teaching profession, are deserving of recognition. Such persons shall be entitled to 1, 3, 4 and 5 above for Life Members.
COUNCIL AND ITS FUNCTIONS
1. The Association shall be governed by a Council consisting of the Officers, who shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, together with the Life Members and one teacher Representative for each fifteen teams in membership of an Organisation. Each Organisation shall be entitled to at least two teacher Representatives.
2. Each Organisation shall elect its delegates to the Council and forward their names with fees to the Honorary Secretary of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association by 31st October.
3. The Officers shall summon meetings of Council. At least two Council meetings per year shall be held outside Belfast.
4. The Officers shall constitute an Emergency Committee.
GENERAL MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS
1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held on or before the third Saturday in September each year. The Secretary shall give at least fourteen days notice to the Secretary of every affiliated Organisation of the place, day and hour of such meeting. The Secretary of each affiliated Organisation shall notify its affiliated schools of all the circumstances relating to the General Meeting.
2.a A copy of the Treasurer’s Report should be tabled at the Meeting (b) The Agenda of the business to be transacted and a list of the candidates for Office and for Life Membership together with the Secretary’s Report shall accompany the notice. (c) Those entitled to be present shall be the Officers, Life Members and one teacher Representative from each team in membership of affiliated Organisations. (d) Each Officer, Life Member and teacher Representative present shall have one vote. A simple majority will decide. The Chairman shall have a casting vote in the case of a tie. Nine shall form a quorum.
3. The Officers of the Association shall be elected biennially at alternate Annual General Meetings, and shall serve for a period of two years. An Officer who retires from active service as a teacher during his term of Office may serve out that term of Office.
4. Candidates for Office must be nominated by Organisations before 1st June preceding the appropriate Annual General Meeting and must be teachers.
5. The Vice-Chairman of one term of Office shall become the Chairman of the next term.
6. The Annual General Meeting shall elect a President from among the Life Members to serve for a period of two years. It may also elect Vice-Presidents. The elections shall be held biennially at alternate Annual General Meetings. Candidates must be nominated by Organisations before 1st June preceding the appropriate Annual General Meeting.
7. Two Honorary Auditors shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting to serve for one year.
8. The Council shall have power to summon a Special General Meeting. The Secretary shall also convene a Special General Meeting on receipt of a request for same, stating the object of the meeting and signed by nine members of affiliated Organisations. Nine shall form a quorum. At least fourteen days notice of a Special General Meeting shall be given as for an Annual General Meeting.
9. These Rules may be changed only at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. Notice of any proposed alteration to be considered at an Annual General Meeting must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association by an Officer of an Organisation by 1st June. Copies of such proposals shall be sent with notice of the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. For the transaction of business at a Council meeting, nine shall constitute a quorum. The Council may fill any vacancy that occurs in its body, elect and appoint Committees, delegate powers to such Committees and make such arrangements for the management of the Association as may be deemed necessary for transaction of its business.
2. The Council shall have power to arrange International, Representative and Trial games and national competitions.
3. The Council may elect unanimously to its membership such serving teachers as it may deem. Notice of such a proposal must be sent to the Honorary Secretary of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association who shall notify all Council delegates giving at least fourteen days notice.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
The Council shall have power to confer Associate Membership on any school which, for reasons acceptable to the Council, is not a member of an affiliated Organisation. Such Associate Membership shall entitle i) individual schools to compete in NISFA competitions ii) pupils of such schools to participate in Trials and to represent the NISFA Such schools must agree to abide by the rules of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association. They shall have no right to representation at General Meetings or on the Council.
FUNDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
1. The Association shall operate a current account in a bank approved by Council.
2. Other investments in the name of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association may be made with the approval of Council.
3. Cheques may be signed by either the Honorary Secretary or the Honorary Treasurer.
4. The receipts of the Internationals and Association Finals are the property of the Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association and shall be checked by either the Honorary Treasurer or his representative.
DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of the Association, any assets remaining after settlement of all outstanding debts and liabilities shall not be distributed amongst the members but shall be given to some other charitable body or institution having similar Objects to those of the Association as a General Meeting shall decide.