Hythe & Saltwood Sailing Club Constitution

1. Name
The name of the Club shall be “Hythe & Saltwood Sailing Club”.

2. Burgee
The Club burgee shall be dark blue with a badge at the hoist containing two stylised seahorses in varying shades of yellow superimposed upon one another.

3. Object
The object of the Club shall be to provide the facilities for the promotion, and participation in by members, of sports relating to the use of the sea, the scope of which shall be recommended by the Management Committee and decided by the members in General Meeting.

4. Eligibility
Any individual of either sex who is keen and interested in the object of the Club is eligible as a candidate for membership. In these rules a member is referred to in the masculine form (e.g. his) whether or not that member is male.

5. Membership
5.1. Every candidate for membership shall complete an application form giving name, address, telephone number, email and any other details that the Management Committee may require, which should be sent to the Membership Secretary.
5.2. The Club, on the recommendation of the Management Committee, may in a General Meeting elect Honorary Members.
5.3. Every member on joining the Club agrees to comply with the Club Constitution, byelaws, general safety policy and any other rules decided by the Management Committee (refer 11.1.3). Any refusal or neglect to do so, or conduct which in the opinion of the Management Committee is either unworthy of a member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the Club, shall render a member liable to expulsion by the Management Committee, provided that before expelling a member the Management Committee shall call upon him for an explanation of his conduct and shall give him an opportunity to defend himself or resign his membership.
5.4. The vote on a resolution for expulsion shall be by ballot and the resolution shall only be carried if not less than three quarters of the Management Committee vote in favour of the resolution.

6. Type of Membership
The classes of membership shall be:–
6.1. FAMILY MEMBERSHIP (to include husband and wife, or cohabiting partners, and any children under the age of 18 years).
6.2. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP (aged over 25 at 1st March in the year of membership)
6.3. UNDER 25’S MEMBERSHIP (aged 25 or under at 1st March in the year of membership).
6.4. CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
6.5. TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP (open to visitors who are members of another similar club or association).
6.6. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP (by election of the members in General Meeting).
6.7. EXISTING LIFE MEMBERS
6.8. INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP

7. Subscriptions
7.1. The annual Club subscription is payable on 1st March each year, and the amount shall be decided by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The amount of boat and board storage fees shall likewise be decided by members at Annual General Meeting and be payable on 1st March each year.
7.2. Any existing member who has not paid his Club subscription by the 2nd March shall not be entitled to join in the Club’s activities and may be requested by the Management Committee to pay the same within fourteen days, and if this subscription is not paid his name may be removed from the list of members by the Management Committee. Similarly, any member who has not fully paid his boat/board storage fees shall be liable to the conditions set forth on the Joining Form regarding the potential sale of craft.
7.3. No member shall in any year be entitled to exercise any rights or privileges of membership until his subscription for that year and all arrears (if any) are paid.

8. Organisation and Management
8.1. The Club shall promote and organise sea sport in accordance with the objects of the Club under the general direction of the Management Committee.
8.2. The Club shall provide the general facilities of the premises and overall administration to enable the activities to function. The Club shall raise revenue to provide the facilities by means of membership subscriptions paid by all members, contributions from the bar and galley catering and any other means that may be decided from time to time by the Management Committee.
8.3. The activities of the Club shall be self financing as far as practically possible and shall not require general Club funds to support operations.
8.4. The Club may from time to time make grants to finance specific items of expenditure as may be decided by the Management Committee.
8.5. The Committee shall have the power to raise or borrow money for the purposes or benefit of the Club. Borrowing shall be limited to £3,000. This may be charged against the premises or property of the Club as necessary.

9. Charitable dissolution clause
In the event of a winding up or dissolution of the club any net assets remaining after settlement of all debts and obligations shall be donated to a suitable charity.

10. Officers
10.1. The Flag Officers of the Club shall consist of a Commodore, a Vice Commodore, plus a Rear Commodore for each activity undertaken by the Club.
10.2. The Officers of the Club shall be an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, a Membership Secretary, a Publicity Officer and a Social Secretary.
10.3. Officers shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting in each year to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting.
10.4. The retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election, except that retiring Flag Officers shall not be eligible for re–election after three consecutive years of service in the office they are holding without a break of at least one year.
10.5. No candidate for election to any office other than retiring officers shall be proposed unless the name of such candidate, and his proposer and seconder, shall have been sent to the Honorary Secretary at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting (unless no candidates have been proposed by that date, and are subsequently elected by the members in Annual General Meeting, having been selected from those present at the meeting).

11. Committees
11.1. Management Committee – Composition and Responsibilities
11.1.1. The Management Committee shall consist of the Flag Officers and the Officers of the Club.
11.1.2. The Management Committee shall control and maintain all the affairs, funds and property of the Club and shall have power to appoint sub-committees for specific purposes and to appoint Trustees of any property of the Club.
11.1.3. The Management Committee shall make such byelaws, rules and regulations as they deem necessary and appropriate for the good management of the Club and the safety of the members.
11.1.4. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep a complete and accurate account of the Club’s finances including the activities finances.
11.2. House Committee
11.2.1. The House Committee shall comprise the Vice Commodore plus at least five Club members (the exact number to be determined by the Management Committee).
11.2.2. The House Committee shall be responsible for the administration of the Club Registration Certificate (unless otherwise undertaken by the Honorary Secretary) and all matters connected with the provision of catering services to the Club and the maintenance of the Club’s premises.
11.2.3. The House Committee shall recommend to the Management Committee rules and byelaws appropriate to the good administration of the Club Registration Certificate.
11.2.4. The House Committee shall comply with and administer such directions and rules as may be from time to time laid down by the Management Committee.
11.3. Activity Committee(s)
11.3.1. There should be a Committee responsible for each activity undertaken by the Club which shall comprise a Rear Commodore and at least five Club members who undertake that particular activity.
11.3.2. The Activity Committee(s) shall organise and be responsible for the Club’s sporting activities.
11.3.3. The Committee(s) shall be responsible for the maintenance in good working order of all equipment pertaining to their particular activity, and be responsible for providing the Management Committee with various information when required.
11.3.4. The Committee(s) shall be responsible for arranging a programme of events for the calendar year following in time for consideration by the Management Committee and subsequent publication early in the calendar year.
11.4. Frequency of Meetings
11.4.1. The Management Committee shall meet separately at least eight times in each year. The Activity Committee(s) and House Committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the Management Committee.

12. Elections of Committees
12.1. The Activity Committee(s) shall be elected by the members undertaking that particular activity preferably prior to the Annual General Meeting each year and shall have effect until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in the following year.
12.2. The House Committee shall be elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall have effect until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in the following year.
12.3. Candidates for election to the House Committee shall be those members of the retiring Committee who offer themselves for re–election and such other members of the Club whose nominations, duly proposed and seconded by members of the club in writing (by letter or email) have been sent to the Honorary Secretary at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting (unless no candidates have been proposed by that date, and subsequently elected by the members in Annual General Meeting, having been selected from those present at the meeting).
12.4. If the numbers of candidates duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number of vacancies required by the Management Committee, the election shall be by ballot.
12.5. If a casual vacancy occurs by death or resignation the Committee shall co-opt a member to fill the vacancy.
12.6. At the Annual General Meeting in each year a member shall be appointed as Honorary Auditor whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the Club for the current year. In the event that he is unwilling or unable to act the Management Committee shall appoint a substitute.

13. General Meeting
13.1. An Annual General Meeting shall be held at a venue in Hythe to be named and on a day in the month of November to be decided by the Management Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall, at least fourteen days clear before the date of such Meeting, email, post or deliver to each member (to the address last recorded on the Club’s membership database) notice thereof and of the business to be brought forward thereat.
13.2. No business except adoption of the accounts, the election of Officers, Committees and Honorary Auditor, the amount of the forthcoming years membership and boat/board storage fees and any other business that the Management Committee may order to be inserted in the notice convening the Meeting, shall be discussed at such Meeting unless notice thereof be given to the Honorary Secretary before the 1st October prior to such Meeting.
13.3. The Management Committee may, on giving fourteen day’s notice, call a General Meeting of the Club for any specific business, the nature of which shall be stated in the notice convening the meeting and the discussion at such Meeting shall be confined to that business only.
13.4. The Management Committee shall also call a General Meeting on the written request of twelve members or one fifth of the total voting membership whichever shall be lower.
13.5. At a General Meeting of the Club each member, other than an Honorary Member and a Social Member, shall have one vote, Corporate Membership shall have one vote per subscription. Honorary Members and Social Members shall be entitled to attend a General Meeting but shall have no vote. Family Members shall have one vote per member over the age of 18 at 1st March in the year of membership. In the case of equality of votes the Commodore shall have the casting vote.
13.6. No member shall nominate any person to hold office unless and until he has ascertained that the person so nominated is willing to serve.
13.7. Twenty members shall constitute a quorum.

14. New Rules, Amendments and Alterations
14.1. Notice of any alteration or addition to the rules intended to be proposed by a member and supported by one or more others of the club shall be given to the Honorary Secretary in writing before the 1 October if the same is to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting or at least one month before any Special General Meeting at which the same is to be brought forward, and the full particulars of any such proposed alterations or additions shall be set out in the notice convening the Meeting.
14.2. All such proposed alterations or additions and amendments to them which may be proposed and seconded shall be put to the vote of the Meeting and provided that on a show of hands, or if demanded on a poll, more than two thirds of the votes cast shall be in favour of any proposed alterations or additions or amendments then the same shall be deemed to be carried.

15. Interpretation
Any dispute over the interpretation of the rules shall be decided on by the Management Committee and, in the event of equality of voting the Commodore shall have a casting vote.