Rules Of The Club
STOWMARKET MEADLANDS RECREATION CLUB RULES
3rd December 2015 (agreed by EGM 21st January 2016)
1. NAME
The Club shall be called the Stowmarket Meadlands Recreation Club.
2. LEGAL STATUS
The club shall be a limited liability company with liability limited by guarantee.
The legal management and administration of the club shall be as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. A copy of these documents is available from the Club Secretary.
3. OBJECT
a. The object of the Club is to provide social recreational and sporting facilities for its members, and for such persons who are from time to time admitted by members of the Club under Club Rules.
b. The Club shall be non-profit making and any surplus arising from Club activities shall be retained by the Club and used to advance the Club’s objective.
4. MANAGEMENT
a. The Club year for all purposes shall begin on 1st May and end on 30th April in any one year.
b. The management of the Club shall be vested in a Management Committee which shall have general power to do all things which it considers to be in the best interests of the Club, including the right to call a general meeting. Members of the Management Committee shall act in the best interest of the club as a whole
c. The Management Committee shall meet as often as the Chairperson, in consultation with other committee members may decide, but in no case less frequently than once in every four months.
d. The Management Committee shall comprise:
I. Four ‘Appointed’ Members; Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.
II. Eight members of the Meadlands Club;
· Four ‘Elected’ club members will be elected or re-elected to the Management Committee at the club AGM.
· Four club members elected from the ‘Significant’ Sections of the Meadlands Club. The presiding Management Committee will decide annually if there is to be any change to the four Significant Sections and give them due notice prior to the AGM, which of the four Club Sections are deemed ‘Significant’.
e. The Chairperson shall be elected annually at the Club’s AGM. The Chairperson chairs the Management Committee Meetings and the AGM and oversees the running of the club. The Chairperson has a right to vote at all meetings.
f. The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected annually at the Club’s AGM. When required, the Vice-Chairperson will stand in for the Chairperson and has a right to vote at all meetings and, if required, the ‘casting vote’
g. The Treasurer shall be elected annually at the Club’s AGM and has a right to vote at all meetings.
h. The Secretary shall be appointed by the Management Committee and shall remain in office until they resign or have their appointment cancelled by the Management Committee.
Salary and hours to be worked shall be agreed by the Management Committee annually at the commencement of the financial year and can be revised by the Management Committee if circumstances dictate this is necessary. (Note: the Secretary will be asked to leave the Management Meeting when this topic is discussed).
i. The four ‘Elected’ members of the Management Committee shall hold office for two club years, two retiring each in rotation and being eligible for re-election.
j. The four ‘Significant’ Section Members will be elected annually at the section’s AGM by the section Members they represent. If any section fails to nominate a member of the Management Committee the committee shall have the power to co-opt a member to fill the vacancy.
k. Each and every vacancy arising on the Management Committee during the year shall be filled in the manner following:-
a. If the vacancy is an ‘Appointed’ member – by a majority decision of Management Committee.
b. If the vacancy is an ‘Elected’ member – by a majority decision of the Management Committee.
c. If the vacancy is a ‘Significant’ Section member – by nomination of the ‘Significant’ Section.
l. The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt a person or persons to serve on the committee in an advisory capacity whose expertise is deemed to be of value in decision making. This person or persons shall not be eligible to vote.
m. The Club may also have a President of the Club. The President shall be elected annually at the Club’s AGM. The President is not a member of the Management Committee and has no voting rights on that committee.
n. At a Management Committee meeting, 50% of the members shall form a quorum.
o. The Club’s accounts shall be subject to annual review by the Management Committee, and if required the Management Committee will commission an independent audit of the accounts.
p. The legal management and administration of the club shall be managed by the appointment of directors; the company shall be governed by the Articles of Association
5. MEMBERSHIP
a. The Club does not condone discrimination on any grounds and therefore membership will be open to all and will be subject to approval of the Management Committee.
b. All applications for new membership must be on a signed form of application together with the appropriate fee to the Secretary or Playing Section Secretary who will then submit them to the Management Committee for approval.
Applications for new membership can be immediately reviewed and approved by a member of the Management Committee and then formally approved at the next meeting.
In accordance with the Licensing Act 2003:
· There must be at least two days between the nomination or application for membership and their admission as members of the club. During these two days the applicant can be signed into the club as a member’s guest.
· Persons becoming members without prior nomination or application may not be admitted to the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their becoming members and their admission.
c. If an application for membership is refused, this may be agreed by a meeting of the Management Committee and written notification must be given to the applicant within 14 days of the decision.
6. TYPES OF MEMBERS
a. Social members:
Members who are able to use any of the Club’s bars and Club’s shop.
b. Family members (Social)
Members of one family who are able to use any of the Club‘s bars and Club shop. A Family is considered to be Husband and Wife/Civil Partners/Single Parent and their children up to the age of 18 years or up to the age of 21 years if they are in full time education.
c. Playing members
Members who are able to use any of the Club’s bars, Club shop and the equipment of any of the club sections they join. They must register with each Playing Section Secretary of any section they wish to join and pay any additional fees agreed by that section.
d. Playing Members (Families)
Playing Members (Families) will be treated the same as (b) Family members (Social)
e. Corporate members
Members of a local Company/Organisation who join as part of a package.
The husband/wife/partner of Corporate Members may also join the Club for an additional fee; this membership will be equivalent of a single Social Member.
f. Life Members
Persons appointed by the Management Committee for services to the Club.
g. Honorary Members
With effect from the July 2016 AGM there will be no further Honorary Membership granted to persons retiring after the AGM. Existing honorary members are those former employees of PPG, ICI or AkzoNobel who, when they retired from service were members of the Meadlands Club.
The husband/wife/partner of existing Honorary Members may also join the Club for an additional fee; this membership will be equivalent of a single Social Member.
h. All fees are to be decided at Management Committee and are due by the beginning of the financial year, (1st May in any one year).
i. All members are entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting except children of Family Members, up to the age of 18 years or up to the age of 21 years if they are in full time education.
7. RESIGNATION
a. Membership may be terminated by notice given to the Club Secretary in writing at least 6 weeks before the end of the Club year, namely 30th April, in any one year and settlement of all outstanding fees and dues.
8. EXPULSION
a. The management committee shall have the power to expel any member whose conduct shall give rise to complaint. This power of the committee shall not be exercised unless a complaint be made in writing and supported by other members of the Club.
9. GUESTS & CHILDREN WITH MEMBERS
a. Members Guests
Any member may introduce not more than three guests over the age of 18, on any occasion to the Club premises. No guests may be introduced more than four times in any one financial year. After this, they must become member of the Club.
b. Guests for Playing Sections
Guests may be introduced only by a member of that playing section, and the number shall be restricted to not more than three per occasion, unless it is a team event.
Teams attending competitions held by playing sections at the club can be signed in ‘en block’ as Guests of the club. The Meadlands Member organising the competition or designated coordinator at the competition will be deemed the Member introducing the guests.
Guests to the playing section shall conform to conditions laid down by the playing section and shall pay the appropriate fee.
c. Social Function Guests
Persons attending a Social Function held at the club can be signed in ‘en block’ as Guests of the club. The Member holding the function or a member of the Management Committee will be deemed the Member introducing the guests.
d. Responsibility for Guests
All guests must be accompanied by the member introducing them, and the visitor and the member introducing them shall sign their name in the Club’s visitor’s book. Members introducing guests will be responsible for their guests and their compliance with Club rules.
e. Responsibility for Children
No child under 18 years of age will be admitted to Club premises unless accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them whilst on the premises.
10. CLUB OPENING HOURS AND LICENSING
a. The Club premises may be open at times decided by the Management Committee. The management committee shall have the power to extend or curtail these hours for any special purpose at any time.
b. The club is governed by the Licensing Act 2003. Intoxicating liquor may be supplied to Members of the Club and all Bona fide signed in guest(s). Bona fide guests shall also be entitled to purchase intoxicating liquor at the club.
c. No intoxicating liquor shall be sold to any persons under the age of 18 years, or such age as licensing laws require if greater than 18 years.
11. SECTIONS
a. Sections may be formed to meet the needs of members. Their formation shall be approved by the Management Committee and their affairs administered in accordance with rules agreed by the Management Committee.
b. All sections are required to keep accurate records which can be inspected from time to time by the Management Committee.
c. Each section will control the number of members allowed to use their facilities. At the beginning of each financial year, existing members should be offered new membership first. If necessary, a waiting list shall be drawn up by the Playing Section Secretary. Any such limits to the membership to the section are to be agreed by the Management Committee.
d. Each section must have an AGM each year and they should invite a member of the Management Committee who is not a member of that section to attend.
e. Each Playing Section Secretary must submit a budget form to the Club secretary before 31st January each year.
12. SUBSCRIPTIONS
a. All members must pay an annual subscription as agreed by the Management Committee by 31st May each year. (This allows four weeks for the administration of the application). Late payment beyond the 31st May will incur an administration fee as decided by the Management Committee.
b. All Playing members must pay any relevant section levies or fees.
c. All Life members do not pay a membership fee.
d. The annual subscription for the ensuing Club year shall be fixed by the Management Committee at the last meeting prior to the end of the Club year. These new fees should be displayed on the Club notice board in the Meadlands, The Meadlands Shop and the Indoor Sports Hall.
e. Any member, who does not pay the relevant subscription due by the 31stMay in any year, will cease to be a member as from that date.
13. GENERAL
a. No member shall remove from the Club premises any articles of Club property, except by permission of the Club Chairperson or Secretary.
b. The committee shall have no responsibility for personal injury, loss or damage to clothes, jewellery, money or other property of any kind brought to, sent to or left on the premises including allocated car parking.
c. Gambling, other than that permitted under the gambling act, is strictly forbidden on Club premises. Organised lotteries etc. may only be run with the permission of the Management Committee.
14. MEETINGS – AGM & EGM
a. All members are entitled to attend the Club’s Annual General Meeting and are entitled to vote, except for the children of Family Members, up to the age of 18 years or up to the age of 21 years if they are in full time education.
b. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be within 3 months from the club year end (30th April), and unless a different date is nominated by the Management Committee the AGM will be held on the first Wednesday in July. Not less than 28 days before the meeting, notices, with a copy of the agenda and the annual balance sheet of the Club, shall be posted on the Club notice board. Not more than 15 months shall elapse between Annual General Meetings.
c. Each candidate for election to membership of the Management Committee (‘Appointed’ and ‘Elected’ members), shall be nominated in writing by a member and seconded by a second member and the nomination shall be lodged with the secretary 21 days before the Annual General Meeting. All Nominations shall be posted on the notice board 14 days in advance of the AGM and under this clause shall be put to members at the Annual General Meeting, who shall vote thereon by ballot.
d. Members are allowed to cast proxy votes for the Nominations posted on the Notice Board. The proxy vote must be handed or posted within a sealed envelope, to the Secretary no later than 4 hours before the AGM and they will be counted within the ballot at the AGM.
e. The four Management Committee members elected by the ‘Significant’ Sections of the club shall be advised to the Secretary 21 days before the AGM and their names will be posted 14 days before the AGM.
f. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at any time by twenty five members or by one fifth of the membership (whichever is the smaller) or by the Management Committee. In all cases, the Secretary shall call an Extraordinary Meeting by giving at least 28 days’ notice thereof, with a copy of the agenda. No other business shall be carried out.
g. At any such Extra Ordinary General Meetings, twenty five members shall form a quorum.
15. NOTICES
a. Notices posted on the Club notice boards, shall be deemed notice to all members for all purposes.
b. The Management Committee shall have power to temporarily alter or suspend any rule or rules of the Club and if the Management Committee decide, such alteration or suspension may remain effective until the AGM.
c. Except as aforesaid, the Club rule/rules shall be changed by a two-thirds majority of Ordinary Members present and voting at a General meeting.
16. WINDING UP
In the event that the Club is wound up, any assets held by the Club will be applied for charitable purposes by donating the assets to a registered charity, the governing bodies of the sports sections supported by the Club or by transferring to a recognised community amateur sports club as defined by the Inland Revenue Community Amateur Sports Scheme if a current CASC member.