
A. HOUSE AND BAR
B. SQUASH / RACKETBALL
C. TENNIS
1. RULES
2. PLAYING DRESS
3. PLAY ARRANGEMENTS
4. OACHING
5. COURTS AND GROUNDS
6. TENNIS BALLS
7. MEMBERS UNDER 16 YEARS
8. PLAYING VISITORS
9. GENERAL
10. COURT ETIQUETTE
Members are reminded of the following items of court etiquette.
D. GYM HOUSE
E. CONTRAVENTION OF RULES AND BYE-LAWS
Membership of the club shall be open to persons of both sexes in the following categories:
4. TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP
Subscriptions and entrance fees shall be determined by the Club from time to time at the Annual General Meeting, or at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. For prospective members the appropriate subscriptions and entrance fee must be submitted with their application. The Management Executive Committee (hereinafter called 'the committee) shall, at their discretion, have full power to vary a prospective member's subscription when joining part way through the current subscription year.
Subscriptions shall be due and payable on the 1st April annually and must be paid before the 30th April in the Club's Financial Year unless the member has by that date elected to pay the annual subscription by monthly bank direct debit and made such arrangements with his or her bank as are acceptable to the Committee. Any member who has not elected to pay by direct debit and who has not paid the annual subscription in full by 30th April shall forfeit his or her rights to utilise the facilities of the Club until such subscription has been paid. At the Committee's discretion any member whose subscription shall be unpaid by the 31st May in the Club's current Financial Year shall cease to be a member of the Club. Any member who having elected to pay by direct debit fails to pay any instalment of his or her subscription as agreed on the due date shall forthwith forfeit his or her right to utilise the facilities of the Club until the whole of the outstanding annual subscription has been paid in full. Members wishing to resign from the Club must give notice in writing to the Secretary before 31st March.
At the Committee's discretion any member part or all of whose subscription shall still be unpaid at the expiry of one month from the date of default of making an instalment payment by way of bank direct debit shall cease to be a member of the Club. Annual subscriptions will not normally be refundable.
5. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Every applicant for membership must be nominated and seconded by two current members of the club, of at least 2 years standing, in writing. The name and address of any person proposed for membership must be displayed on the club notice board for at least two days before the election meeting. Any objection by a member to the application must be notified to the committee in writing. The committee shall have power to accept or refuse any application without stating any reason for refusal. No person may be admitted to membership or to the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between nomination and admission. An applicant who is rejected for membership may not re-apply within a period of 12 months of that rejection.
The Committee has power to limit the membership of the club as a whole or in respect of individual categories.
The committee shall have power to grant honorary life membership.
6. CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
If, in the opinion of the committee, the conduct of any member either inside or outside the club is such as to cause injury to the club's reputation or is against the interests of the members as a whole it may, as it sees fit, take appropriate disciplinary action against that person including suspension or cancellation of membership. The disciplinary procedure is set out in the byelaws. A person whose membership is cancelled may re-apply for membership after a period of 2 years following expulsion.
7. ADMISSION OF GUESTS OF MEMBERS
Members may introduce guests either to play tennis, squash, racketball, use the gym, or for social purposes on payments of the prescribed fee as fixed by the committee from time to time. In accordance with Section 70 of the Licensing Act 2003, guests of members shall be permitted to purchase intoxicating liquor whilst on club premises when the member is present, No guest may be introduced to the playing or social facilities of the club on more than 6 occasions in any one year.
A gym member may introduce a guest to use the gym provided that the guest signs a waiver and completes a medical questionnaire.
Members may not, without the prior consent of the Tennis, Squash or Racketball Chairman, introduce more than 3 guests to play.
In all cases where a member introduces a guest it shall be the responsibility of the member to ensure that the guest book is signed and the appropriate fee paid.
The following persons shall not be admitted as guests:
No member or guest shall use the club premises and / or its facilities for personal gain or for any business use whatsoever unless prior written approval has been obtained from the committee or the Club Manager.
8. ADMISSION OF VISITORS
The club shall admit as visitors, members and their guest of visiting sports teams who are playing matches against the club. Other visitors will include persons who have booked the club's facilities for a function. Such persons shall sign the Visitors book stating the name of their organization. Visitors and their guests may purchase refreshments and intoxicating liquor whilst on the club premises in accordance with Section 67 of the Licensing Act 2003.
The club may also admit, as visitors, young persons from the local community, for racket sport coaching, as part of the club's youth development strategy and to maintain its key club status with the LTA and Gold Charter status with England Squash.
All visitors to the club will pay the appropriate fee.
9. PRESIDENT
The President shall be elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose or any other purpose and shall hold office for a maximum of three years at a time or until death or resignation unless removed from office by a resolution of the Committee or the members.
At any general meetings of the Club the President or in his absence the Chairman or in the absence of both persons a member selected by the Meeting shall take the chair.
The President shall take no part in the management of the Club's affairs but shall promote the Club's image and interests in particular by attending major social and sporting events of the club.
10. MANAGEMENT
At the E.G.M. of 5th June 1997, a revised management structure was approved. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Management the Committee which shall consist of: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Immediate Past Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman of Tennis, Squash and Racketball Committees. All shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting save for the Chairman, Immediate Past Chairman and the Chairmen of Tennis, Squash and Racketball. The Chairmen of Tennis, Squash and Racketball shall be elected at their respective section Annual Meeting and approved by the Annual General Meeting. The Vice-Chairman of the Club, as elected at the previous Annual General Meeting, shall become Chairman for the succeeding year, subject to the approval of the Committee in office prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall have power to co-opt further members if it is deemed necessary. The times of use of tennis, squash and racketball courts shall be proposed by those committees for approval by the committee.
Meetings of the Committee shall be held at regular intervals and three members of the Committee shall form a quorum.
Written Minutes shall be taken and at the discretion of the Committee may be made available for inspection by members on giving seven days' notice in writing to the Secretary.
There are several sub-committees including House, Bar, Grounds, Social and Project. The Chairmen of such Sub-Committees are elected annually by the Annual General Meeting. The committee may invite any of these chairmen to attend committee meetings for the purpose of reporting ongoing matters relevant to that sub-committee.
The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer may attend any Sub-Committee meeting at any time if they so desire.
All members entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting shall be eligible for election to the Committee (if nominated) and shall be entitled to nominate members of the Club for election to the Committee.
Sub-Committees must be formed from members subject to their appointment being ratified by the Committee.
Each prospective Committee member, whose consent to stand for election shall have been given in writing, at or before the Annual General Meeting and retiring Committee members shall be deemed to have retired immediately before the Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.
In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Committee, the Committee may appoint any voting member of the Club to fill the vacancy until the next AGM.
The Committee shall have management of funds for day-to-day running of the Club and power to make and/or vary bye-laws and regulations where not inconsistent with these Rules. Any contract or item of expenditure exceeding 10% of the budgeted annual subscription shall be first approved by the Members at a general meeting.
The Committee shall have power to borrow money for the purposes of the Club and to secure the repayment of any money borrowed by mortgaging or charging any of its property and the Committee shall have power to determine from time to time the terms and conditions upon which money is borrowed and to vary such terms and conditions.
Matters requiring immediate decision for the day-to-day running of the Club will be dealt with by the Club Manager and/or the Office Manager who, may in turn defer such matters to the Establishment Committee. Members of the Establishment Committee shall be the Chairman and Secretary together with one other appropriate member of the committee. The Establishment Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that the club registration certificate is in force and that the club operates within the provisions of the Licensing Act and to ensure that permits/certificates for the use of gaming machines are in order.
11. TRUSTEES
The property of the Club shall be vested in not more than four and not less than two Trustees, to be appointed from time to time by resolution of the Committee. The Trustees shall, in all matters relating to the disposition of or dealing with the property of the Club, act on the direction of a resolution of the Committee (of which any entry in the Minute Book of the Committee, signed by the Chairman for the time being of the Committee or by the person for the time being professing to act as such Chairman shall be conclusive evidence) provided that they are of the opinion that such resolution would meet with the approval of members generally. The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Club property. Any Trustee may resign his Trusteeship at any time by a notice in writing addressed to the Secretary or to the Committee expressing his wish to resign. A Trustee may be removed by a resolution proposed by the committee in writing and passed at a general meeting of members by a majority of two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote.
12. GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of June, of which fourteen days' notice in writing shall be given to all members. The Purpose of this meeting shall be for the election of officers, the presentation of accounts and reports from officers, if any.
The Committee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time on giving fourteen days' notice in writing to all members of such meeting.
If seventy voting members of the Club or one fifth of the total number of members entitled to vote at a General Meeting, whichever number shall be lesser, shall require an Extraordinary General Meeting to be called they shall notify the Secretary in writing and he shall call such meeting within twenty-one days of receiving the requisition and in the event of the Secretary failing to call such meeting any one of the members signing the requisition may call such meeting by giving all Club members fourteen days' notice thereof in writing at the expense of the Club.
Thirty voting members of the Club or one fifth of the total number of members entitled to vote at a General Meeting, whichever number shall be lesser, shall form a quorum at any General Meeting. Written Minutes shall be taken and presented for approval at the next Annual General Meeting.
Any member wishing to move a resolution or an amendment to a resolution shall give notice to the Secretary seven days before the meeting whereupon such resolution or amendment shall be displayed in the Clubhouse. Resolutions moved without such notice may be accepted at the discretion of the Chairman.
In February of each year an EGM shall be held to determine the club's budget for the forthcoming year and any other urgent business deemed necessary by the committee or the President. Notice shall be given as for the AGM.
13. VOTING
All members over 18 years of age at the beginning of the subscription year, shall be entitled to vote at a General Meeting of the Club. In the case of a tie the motion shall be lost. A simple majority shall be sufficient for ordinary motions put to the meeting but proposed alteration the rules will require a majority of at least two thirds of members present.
There will be no voting by proxy.
14. COMPLAINTS
All complaints as to arrangements about the Club shall be made by letter to the Secretary who shall lay such complaints before the Committee.
15. ACCOUNTS
The Club's financial year shall end on 31st March each year. The Committee shall appoint Auditors whose qualifications shall be as defined by Section 389 (1) (a) of the Companies Act 1985 and shall have powers to agree the fees. A copy of the audited Annual Accounts shall be sent to all members with the invitation to the AGM.
16. INTOXICATING LIQUOR
The purchase and supply to members of intoxicating liquor in the club premises shall be controlled by the Committee through the Bar sub-committee. The committee shall keep an account of all purchases and receipts and at the AGM shall present a statement of account from the previous year.
The permitted hours of the Club during which intoxicating liquor may be supplied to members and sold to guests and visitors for consumption on the premises shall be decided from time to time by the Committee upon the advice of the Bar Committee, and displayed on the club's premises.
The hours have been fixed with the Local Authority when application was made to convert the registration certificate pursuant to the Licensing Act 2003. Application shall be made to the Local Authority to vary the permitted hours.
Intoxicating liquor for consumption off the premises shall only be supplied to members of the Club during the permitted hours.
Persons under the age of 18 years will not be supplied, sold or allowed to consume intoxicating liquor on club premises, except where a person aged 16/17 is accompanied by a person (relevant person) over the age of 18, then the relevant person may purchase wine, beer or cider for the young person provided it is consumed at a table meal on club premises.
No person shall be paid any commission or similar payment by the Club in connection with the purchase of intoxicating liquor or any other goods by the Club and the Committee shall have no power to make any such payment to any person.
Any pecuniary benefit arising either directly or indirectly from the supply of intoxicating liquor or any other activities shall be used for the benefit of the Club as a whole.
A list of members shall always be kept on the Club premises with a record of the latest payment of their subscriptions.
17. VARIATION OF RULES
The rules of the club may at any time be amended, repealed or replaced by resolution at a general meeting of the club, provided that any resolution concerning these rules must receive a majority of at least two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote.
The club rules have been reviewed and it is reasonably believed that they are compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998.
Within 28 days of an amendment, a repeal or replacement of the rules, the Secretary shall notify the Local Authority of the decision.
18. BYELAWS
The committee may from time to time make byelaws, not inconsistent with the rules, for the conduct of the members and the governing of the affairs of the club. A copy of these byelaws will be placed on the club notice board.
19. DISSOLUTION
A motion for the winding up of the club may be put to a special general meeting of the club called for this purpose on notice to all current members. At such a meeting a majority of three quarters of the members present and entitled to vote shall be required.
If the motion is passed a second meeting may be held to determine how the assets of the club, after payments of debts and liabilities, are to be distributed.