Alvaston Pirates Model Boat Club Constitution
1. Name
The club will be called Alvaston Pirates Model Boat Club
2. Club Status
The club is a non profit making organisation whose revenue is to be used solely to support the clubs aims and objectives.
3. Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of the club will be:
To encourage and promote the building and sailing of electric or steam powered model boats and submarines.
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club
To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone
To actively promote Alvaston Park in association with the other organizations who use its facilities and thus to enhance it’s environment for the enjoyment of the local community.
To provide opportunities to the young, old and disabled to participate in the club’s activities.
4. Membership
Membership will consist of officers and members of the club.
All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will
be deemed to accept these regulations and the rules that the club has adopted.
All members will be expected to fully support all club activities within the scope of their capabilities.
A member will only be accepted into the club after attending at least three sailing events when at least two committee members shall be present and on presentation to the Treasurer of a completed application form and the appropriate subscription fees. Two Management Committee members’ signatures must then be obtained before membership application is accepted.
Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:
full member
junior member (under 18 years of age)
family member
honorary member
associate member
5. Membership fees
Membership fees will be set annually and determined at the Annual General Meeting.
Fees will be paid by annual subscription but not latter than the end of January each year.
Members who fail to so comply will deem to have resigned and will have to reapply for membership.
If any Member resigns or has his/her membership terminated for disciplinary reasons they forfeit any rights to repayment of fees paid.
6. Officers of the club
The officers of the club will be
Chairman
General Secretary
Treasurer
Communication Secretary
Membership Secretary
Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
7. Management Committee
The club will be managed through the Management Committee consisting of the Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, Communication Secretary and Membership Secretary.
Only these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the Management Committee.
The Management Committee will be convened by the Treasurer of the club and held not less than four times per year.
The quorum required for business to be agreed at Management Committee meetings will be 3.
The Chairman will have a casting vote in the case of a hung vote.
The Management Committee will be responsible for proposing, adopting and implementing all new policies, codes of conduct, safety requirements and rules that affect the clubs activities.
The Management Committee have joint responsibility for ensuring the general safety of the Clubs activities and must insure that members operate within the clubs water side safety rules.
The Management Committee will be responsible for representing the club in its interfaces with all external bodies and organisations. Individual members must not so represent the club unless authorised to so do by the Management Committee. Individual members must not commit the club to any expenditure unless so authorised to do so by the Management Committee.
The Management Committee will be responsible for ensuring that the clubs financial and legal liabilities are adequately protected.
The Management Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary, appoint defacto committee members (subject to ratification at the following AGM) and appoint advisers to the Management Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.
The Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Management Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
8. Finance
All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club.
The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club and shall maintain a cash and bank balance book.
A small petty cash balance of not more than £40 will be held by the Treasurer for day to day expenditure.
Any member incurring authorised expenditure on behalf of the club may claim back such expenditure by presenting the appropriate receipts to the Treasurer.
The financial year of the club will end on: 30th September.
An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.
Any cheques drawn against club funds must hold the signatures of two of the following the Treasurer, the General Secretary and the Chairman.
9. Members Public Liability Insurance
All club members are covered by the clubs Public Liability Insurance up to £5m..
The policy covers members whilst sailing anywhere in the UK and in Europe and at any shows/events sanctioned in advance by the club committee. .
The policy does not cover damage incurred to, or loss of members property, whilst sailing.
Any incident that occurs that might result in a claim being made against the policy must be reported to the club Secretary within 24hours of the incident occurring.
10. Annual General Meetings/Extraordinary General Meetings
Notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be given by the General Secretary. Not less than 21 clear days’ notice to be given to all members.
The AGM will receive a report from each member of the Management Committee and a statement of the audited accounts.
The following years membership categories and membership fees will be approved at the AGM.
Nominations for officers of the Management Committee must be sent to the General Secretary 10 clear days prior to the AGM.
Elections of officers are to take place at the AGM.
Members wishing to raise issues for discussion at the AGM must submit them in writing to the General Secretary 10 clear days prior to the AGM.
Only fully paid up members have the right to attend and vote at the AGM or EGM.
The quorum for the AGM/EGM will be 25% of the membership.
The Chairman will have a casting vote in the case of a hung vote.
The Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) outside the AGM. Not less than 7 clear days notice must be given to all members that apart procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.
Minutes of all AGMs and EGMs must be taken and published to the Management Committee by the General Secretary.
11. Discipline and Appeals
All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Chairman.
Any member who has been put into discipline will be suspended from the club until after the discipline process has been completed.
The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 15 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.
The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 5 days of the hearing.
There will be the right of appeal to the Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 15 days of the Chairman receiving the appeal.
12. Website
The club shall operate a publicly accessible website for the purpose of self promotion. The website will also make available to all members (existing and future) the following information as a minimum
Club Constitution
Club Rules
Club Health and Safety Policy
Club Data Protection Policy
Club Membership Fees
13. Facebook
The Club will operate a facebook page that will only be available to fully paid up Club Members. The Communications Secretary will be responsible for administrating the facebook page
14 Email
The club shall use email as its means of communicating with its members. Members will be expected to regularly check their email so as to ensure that all communications are received in a timely manner, and to respond when requested to so do.
15. Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.
In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club that remain will be donated to a charity or charities of the Management Committees choice. The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.
Declaration
Alvaston Pirates Model Boat Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.
Signed:________________________ Signed:____________________________
Name:_________________________ Name: _____________________________
Position: Club Chairman Position: Club General Secretary
Date:__________________________ Date:_______________________________
Amended 1 December 2016
