CONSTITUTION OF THE ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS CROQUET CLUB
(Revised: January 1st 2003)
The club shall be called The Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club.
The club is formed to provide for its members croquet lawns and a clubhouse, to encourage its members to learn and participate in the sport of croquet and to supply all things incidental to the playing of croquet and associated social activities.
A. Ordinary Membership - Ordinary Members may be any person aged 18 years or over who for an annual subscription (and/or joining fee) shall be entitled to use and enjoy all the facilities and activities of the Club.
B. Student Membership - Full-time students under 25 years of age. They may not hold office nor vote at any General Meeting of the club. They will pay a reduced subscription. They must be of an age not to warrant supervision.
C. Honorary Members - In recognition of services to the Club, Honorary Members may be elected at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee. A two-thirds majority of those present will be necessary. Honorary members may be elected for life or for such other periods as may be appropriate to the Club and as such they shall be entitled to full rights and privileges of using the Club and shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting of the Club.
A. The Honorary Officers of the Club shall consist of the Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer. They shall be proposed, seconded and elected at each Annual General Meeting and shall take office as from that time. Each Officer shall hold office for one calendar year.
B. THE HONORARY CHAIRMAN
The Chairman is responsible for the general direction of Club affairs and represents the Club in the public relations aspects of its activities. He/she will chair meetings, direct committee procedures, oversee the day to day running of the Club and generally take responsibility for the well-being and good name of the Club.
C. THE HONORARY SECRETARY
The Secretary is responsible for the general administration of the Club. He/she shall keep full and correct minutes of all meetings and see to it that members are kept informed of all relevant procedures. Any complaints shall be made to the Secretary who, if he/she is unable to deal with them, shall submit same to the Chairman/Committee whose decision shall be final.
D. THE HONORARY TREASURER
The Treasurer shall receive subscriptions and shall transact all the financial business of the Club. He/she shall keep accounts of the Club and shall present an annual Statement of Account at each Annual General Meeting. The Banking Accounts shall stand in the name of the Club. All cheques drawn on the banking account shall be signed by the Treasurer or one other, except as otherwise determined by the Committee from time to time by resolution. The Treasurer shall have power to sue for and recover all sums due to the Club.
The Management of the Club:
A. The Management of the Club (except as otherwise provided by these rules) shall be deputed to a Committee consisting of up to 9 members including the Honorary Officers.
B. Election of Committee Members - At the Annual General Meeting, members of the Committee shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election. Any two members may propose any candidate or candidates in writing to the Secretary by the 16th October in any year. Voting will take place at the Annual General Meeting and the candidates who receive the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the absence of written nominations, nominations may be taken from the floor at the Annual General Meeting. Committee members will take office immediately.
C. Casual Officers - In the event of a temporary vacancy among the Officers of the Club, or should any Honorary Officer or Committee Member become in the opinion of the Committee, unable to fulfill his duties the Committee shall have power to appoint any member (except as otherwise provided by these rules) to fill such vacancy for whatever time deemed appropriate until the next Annual General Meeting.
D. Meetings - The Committee shall meet as necessary each year to examine the Accounts and arrange the affairs of the Club.
E. Voting - Any member present shall have one vote upon every motion and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
F. Minutes - Minutes shall be taken of all proceedings of the Committee and shall be open for inspection by any member of the Club by application to the Secretary. The minutes, whenever possible, must be written up within fourteen days of the relevant meeting and distributed to the committee members forthwith.
A. An application for membership may only be declined (or an existing membership revoked) by the Committee if the membership of the person concerned would be likely, in the view of the Committee, to be contrary to the best interests of the sport or to the good conduct and interests of the Club.
B. On payment of the agreed subscription (and/or joining fee) by a new member, the Secretary shall furnish him/her with a copy of all relevant documents. No-one is deemed to be a member able to enjoy the rights and privileges of the Club until such payment has been made.
It is the duty of each member to ensure that the Secretary has his or her current address. Such address shall be inserted in the Register of Members and all notifications sent by post to such address shall be deemed to have been duly delivered two days following the date of posting (excluding Sundays and Bank Holidays).
A. Every member shall be bound by and submit to the rules and regulations of the Club.
B. No member shall take away, or permit to be taken away, from the Club any property of the Club under any pretence whatever unless authorised by an Officer of the Club.
C. No member shall receive any profit or emolument from the funds of the Club.
D. Any disciplinary procedures should they arise will be carried out by the Chairman and Officers of the Club.
E. The rules of the Club in relation to the everyday use of the Club and its facilities will be posted on the notice board in the clubhouse and as such members will be deemed to have full knowledge of the rules of the Club.
The annual subscription (and/or joining fee) shall be determined by simple majority each year at the Annual General Meeting as will Green Fees for visitors per lawn per session.
Any person on ceasing to be a member of the Club shall forfeit all rights to and claims upon the Club, its property and funds and shall return to the Secretary any keys or Club property.
A. Financial Year - The financial year of the Club shall end on the 30th September in each year to which day the accounts of the Club shall be balanced.
B. Auditors - If it is deemed appropriate, a professional Accountant shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to audit the Statement of Accounts and shall certify the same.
C. Notice and Date of Meeting - Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be made in writing to all members not less than 14 days before such meeting takes place. A copy of the Statement of Accounts will accompany such notice. The AGM shall take place within three months from the end of the financial year and will be held at such time and place as the Committee shall determine.
D. Quorum at all Meetings - A quorum at all Committee Meetings shall be three Committee Members and at General Meetings it shall be 7 members entitled to vote.
E. Trustees - The Club may appoint up to 5 Trustees who shall be empowered to hold property on behalf of the Club. The initial appointment of such Trustees will be the responsibility of the Committee. However, following this initial appointment, Trustees will be proposed, elected and re-elected by membership vote at each Annual General Meeting.
If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Club is passed by a majority of the members present, and such resolution be confirmed thereafter at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the Committee shall thereupon or at such future date as considered appropriate, proceed to realise the property of the Club and after discharge of all liabilities shall remit any balance for donation, by member vote, either to the appropriate governing body for the sport of Croquet (e.g. the Croquet Association) or to a new or existing Croquet Club registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).