Constitution

Dunbar Sailing Club

THE DUNBAR SAILING CLUB

Constitution and Club Rules

NAME AND OBJECT

1. The name of the Club is “THE DUNBAR SAILING CLUB”, and the burgee of the Club shall be as designated.

2. The object for which the Club is formed is to promote and facilitate the sport of sailing.

MEMBERSHIP

3. Dunbar Sailing Club operates an equal opportunities policy and will not discriminate against persons on grounds of sex, marital status or social grounds, or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin or of other personal attributes including beliefs or opinions such as religious beliefs or political opinions.

4. The Club on the recommendation of the Committee may in general meeting elect Honorary Members.

5. Every candidate for membership shall be nominated by a full member and seconded by another full member, where after the candidate’s Application and suitability for membership will be considered by the Committee. If successful, the Applicant’s full name, address and any other particulars the Committee may require shall be sent to the Honorary Treasurer.

At any given time/at all times the membership numbers shall comprise not less than 75% sailing members not more than 25% non-sailing members. (Note: A sailing member will be deemed to be any Club member whose principal interest in Club membership will be as a participant or supporter of the pursuit of sailing as opposed to any other alternative water sport.)

6. Members other than honorary members may be elected at any meeting of the Committee duly convened for that purpose.

7. The Club year shall run from 1st January to 31st December. Any member desirous of retiring from the Club shall notify his intention to the Honorary Secretary in writing.

8. Every member on joining the Club impiety undertakes to comply with these rules. Any refusal or neglect to do so or any conduct which in the opinion of the Committee is either unworthy of a member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the Club shall render a member liable for expulsion by the Committee. Before expelling a member the Committee shall call upon him for an explanation of his conduct and shall give him an opportunity of defending himself or of resigning his membership.

The vote on a resolution shall be by ballot and the resolution shall only be carried if not less than three-quarters of the members of the Committee present vote in favour of the resolution.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

9. The annual subscription payable on election and on the 1st day of April in each year will be of such amounts and in such categories as may be agreed at the Annual General Meeting.

Categories of membership will be designated at the Annual General Meeting as will the rights enjoyed by such categories.

A Full/Family Membership

B Associate Member

(I) All full members shall be entitled to the full amenities of the Club.

(ii) Any member who has not paid his subscription by the first day of March shall be requested to pay the same within one calendar month and, if his subscription is not paid by the 31st March, his name may be removed from the list of members by the Committee. A member’s name may be restored at the discretion of the Committee when a re-entrance fee would be payable. The fee will be set by the Committee

(iii) No member shall in any year be entitled to exercise his rights or privileges of membership until his subscription fee for that year and all arrears (if any) are paid.

(iv) A member elected after the 1st October in any year who shall have paid his subscription for that year shall not be required to pay subscription for the following year.

OFFICERS

10. (I) The Officers of the Club, seventy-five per cent of whom shall be sailing members, shall consist of a Commodore, a Vice Commodore, an Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting to hold Office for two years. Fifty per cent of the Officers will retire annually after the Annual General Meeting. The retiring Officers will be eligible for re-election.

COMMITTEE

11. (I) The Committee will consist of the Officers and not more than four full members of the Club (of whom at any given time not less than three shall be sailing members) elected by the Club in General Meeting to hold Office for a period of two years.

(ii) Fifty per cent of the Committee Members will retire each year after the Annual General Meeting. The Committee may at their sole discretion co-opt other members of the Club on to the Committee to assist in the conduct of the Club’s affairs.

(iii) Candidates for election of the Committee shall be those members of the retiring Committee who may offer themselves for re-election and such other members of the Club whose nominations are duly proposed and seconded by members of the Club.

(iv) If a casual vacancy occurs by death or resignation the Committee may co-opt a member to fill the vacancy.

(v) If a number of candidates duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot.

12. (i) The Committee shall manage affairs of the Club according to the rules and shall apply the funds of the Club to the objects of the Club.

(ii) The Committee shall have the power to borrow funds on behalf of the Club as they deem necessary.

(iii) The Committee shall have recourse on all subscribing members for relief of all obligations constitutionally incurred on behalf of the Club.

(iv) The Committee shall make bye-laws, rules and regulations as they think appropriate.

(v) It shall be the responsibility of the Honorary Secretary to keep a complete and accurate account of the Club’s finances.

(vi) The Committee is not empowered to use any of the Club’s fixed assets as collateral for the purpose of borrowing funds without the approval of the members at an Annual General or an Extraordinary General Meeting.

HONORARY AUDITOR

13. At the Annual General Meeting in each year an Honorary Auditor shall be appointed whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the Club for the current year.

GENERAL MEETINGS

14. An Annual General Meeting shall be held on some day in the month of March to be fixed by the Commodore. The Honorary Secretary shall, at least fourteen days clear before the date of such meeting, post or deliver to each member notice thereof and of the business to the brought forward thereat.