Banchory Lawn Tennis Club

BANCHORY LAWN TENNIS CLUB

 

THE CONSTITUTION

New constitution agreed at AGM 27/11/17

Revision 1.0  agreed at AGM 20/11/18

Revision 2.0 agreed at AGM 19/11/19

 

1. Name

The Club, established in 1983, is called Banchory Lawn Tennis Club ("the Club").

2. Definitions

"the CLTA" means North East of Scotland Tennis Association

“the Game” means the game of tennis;

"the Honorary Secretary" means the person elected from time to time to be the Honorary Secretary of the Club in accordance with Rule 9;

"the Honorary Treasurer" means the person elected from time to time to be the Honorary Treasurer of the Club in accordance with Rule 9;

“the LTA” means the Lawn Tennis Association (the governing body of tennis within Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) of The National Tennis Centre, 100 Priory Lane, Roehampton, London SW15 5JQ and its subsidiaries or such successor entity or entities as become(s) the governing body of the game of tennis within Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man from time to time;

“the LTA Disciplinary Code” means the disciplinary code of the LTA in force from time to time;

“the LTA Rules” means the rules of the LTA as in force from time to time;

"the Management Committee" means the management committee appointed under Rule 9 to manage the Club;

"the Members" means the members of the Club admitted from time to time to membership of the Club in accordance with Rule 5;

"the President" means the person elected from time to time to be the chairman of the Committee in accordance with Rule 9; and

"the Trustees" means the persons acting from time to time to be the trustees of the Club in accordance with Rule 10.6.

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• Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine gender; and words denoting persons include bodies corporate (however incorporated) and unincorporated, including unincorporated associations of persons and partnerships.

3. Objects

 

The objects of the Club are:

• to provide tennis, social and other activities and generally to encourage and facilitate the playing of tennis;

(b) to provide and maintain Club premises at Burnett Park East, Banchory AB31 4AE

• to promote, improve, develop and support the interests of tennis;

• to such other benefits to its members as if shall think fit;

• to take and retain a membership of the CLTA (and by doing so become and remain registered as an associate of the LTA) and to comply with and uphold the Rules and Regulations of the CLTA as amended from time to time and the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code and the rules and regulations of any body to which the LTA is registered or affiliated;

• to acquire, establish, own, operate and turn to account in any way for the members' benefit the tennis court facilities of the Club together with buildings and easements, fixtures and fittings and accessories as shall be thought advisable;

• subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code and the LTA’s wider jurisdiction, to make rules, regulations, bye-laws and standing orders concerning the operation of the Club Including without limitation regulations concerning disciplinary procedures that may be taken against the Members;

• subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code and the LTA’s wider jurisdiction, to discipline the Members where permitted by its Rules/Regulations and to refer its Members to be disciplined by the LTA or the CLTA (as appropriate);

[(i) to make donations or offer support to lawn tennis clubs which are charities, community amateur sports clubs or other community groups;

• to do all such other things as the Management Committee thinks fit to further the interests of the Club and ensure a sustainable future, to advance and safeguard the interests of the Game, to promote increases in participation at all levels of the Game or to as are otherwise incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects stated in this Rule 3.

4. Application of Surplus Funds

• The Club is a non-profit-making organisation. Subject to Rule 26.3, the income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club's facilities and in furtherance of the Club's objects as set forth in these Rules no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to the Members of the Club. As such any annual surplus shall be paid into the capital sinking fund required for periodic asset refurbishment projects.

• Nothing in Clause 4.1 shall prevent the Club from entering an agreement with a member for the supply by him to the Club of goods or services or for his employment by the Club, provided that

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such arrangements are approved by the Management Committee (without the member being present) and are agreed with the member on an arm's length basis.

5. Membership

• Eligibility for membership

• Persons of either sex are eligible for full membership of the Club provided they are at least 18 years old. No person shall be denied membership of the Club on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, creed, colour, age, disability, sex, occupation, sexual orientation, religion, political or other beliefs.

• Persons below the age of 18 may be elected as Junior Members without the right to hold office or vote at general meetings.

5.1.3    If the number of members needs to be limited, this shall be set by the Management Committee

• Admission of Members

Any person who wishes to become a Member must submit an application via the Club’s Website, or if not on paper form to the Membership Secretary. The Committee shall, in its absolute discretion, decide whether to admit that candidate as a Member. A person shall not be entitled to any privileges of the Club until payment has been received, and no less than two days have passed since his application for membership was submitted.

• Conditions of membership

• Each member agrees as a condition of membership:

• to be bound by and subject to these rules and the rules and regulations of the relevant CLTA (as in force from time to time); and

• to be bound by and subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code.

• Rule 5.3.1 confers a benefit on the LTA and, subject to the remaining provisions of this rule, is intended to be enforceable by the LTA by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. For the avoidance of doubt, the members do not intend that any term of these rules, apart from Rule 5.3, should be enforceable, by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, by any person who is not a party to these rules.

• The Management Committee may subject to Clause 7 terminate the membership of any person, or impose any other sanction it determines to be appropriate, in connection with the breach of any condition of membership set out in this rule.

• Classes of Members

These shall be determined by the Management Committee and displayed in the Club's Regulations.

Only Full Members (Adult, Senior Citizen Life and Student) shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote at general meetings. A Member other than a Full Member shall be entitled to all the other privileges

• Subscriptions

• The entrance fee and annual subscription for each type of Member shall be determined from time to time by the Management Committee.

• The Members shall pay any entrance fee and annual subscription fees set by the Management Committee from time to time.

• No candidate who has been elected a Member shall be entitled to the privileges of membership until he has paid the entrance fee (if any) and his first annual subscription.

• Any Member whose entrance fee or subscription is not paid by such date as the Management Committee shall determine in the Regulations shall be deemed to have resigned his membership of the Club.

6. Resignation

 

A Member may withdraw from membership of the Club on clear notice to the Club. Membership shall not be transferable in any event and shall cease immediately on death or dissolution or on the failure of the Member to comply or to continue to comply with any condition of membership set out in these Rules.

 

7. Expulsion

• Subject to the remaining provisions of this rule, the Management Committee shall have power to refuse membership or expel a Member or Guest if it in its sole discretion determines that it would be in the interests of the Game or of the Club to do so.

• A Member shall not be expelled unless he is given 20 days' written notice of the meeting of the Management Committee at which his expulsion shall be considered and written details of the complaint made against him.

• The Member shall be given an opportunity to appear before the Management Committee to answer complaints made against him. The member must not be expelled unless at least two-thirds of the Management Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion.

7.4      The Management Committee may exclude the Member from the Club's premises until the meeting considering his expulsion has been held. For the avoidance of doubt, the member shall be entitled to attend that meeting for the purpose of making his representations.

• The Member may appeal against the Management Committee's decision by notifying the Management Committee who shall put the matter to the Club's members in a General Meeting and decided by a majority vote of members present and voting at such meeting.

8. Effect of Resignation or Expulsion

 

Any person ceasing to be a Member forfeits all right to and claim upon the Club, its property and its funds and he has no right to the return of any part of his subscription.

 

 

9. The Management Committee

• The Club shall be managed by a Committee consisting of:

1. President

 

 

1. Honorary Secretary

 

1. Honorary Treasurer

 

1. Plus no more than 12 other roles to be confirmed by the existing Management Committee prior to each Annual General Meeting.. The members of the Management Committee may exercise all of the powers of the Club for the purposes of the management of the Club.

 

• The Club agrees that each member of the Management Committee will be required, as a condition of election or appointment, to agree to be bound by and subject to these rules, the rules and regulations of the relevant CLTA and the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code, such agreement to contain an express acknowledgement that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 applies and that the LTA and the Club can enforce any breach at its option and in its sole discretion.

• The members of the Management Committee may delegate any of the powers that are conferred on them by these rules to such person, or committee, by such means (including power of attorney), to such extent, in relation to such matters and on such terms and conditions as they think fit. If the members of the Management Committee specify, any such delegation may authorize further delegation of members’ powers. The members of the Management Committee may revoke any delegation or alter its terms and conditions.

• The Management Committee shall decide in its discretion how Members may be notified for nominations for election to fill any vacancies on the Committee and shall notify the Members accordingly.

• Any person nominated to be considered as a member of the Management Committee must be a Full Member.

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• If there is only one candidate nominated to fill any particular vacancy, that candidate shall be declared elected unopposed for that particular vacancy at the next annual general meeting. If there is more than one candidate for any particular vacancy there shall be an election at the annual general meeting for that position. In the event of a tie, the candidate to be elected shall (unless the candidates otherwise agree) be determined by lot .

• The Management Committee members shall be proposed, seconded and elected by ballot at the annual general meeting. Election to the Management Committee shall be for three years in that position. One-third, or if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number nearest to one-third of the members of the Management Committee appointed under paragraph [(f)] of Rule 9.1 shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election to one position for up to a further three years at each time of retiral. In the event of a shortfall to meet the one third quota, the members so retiring being those who have been longest in office. As between those who have served for an equal length of time, the member to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree) be determined by lot.

• In addition to the members elected or appointed in accordance with this Rule 9, the Management Committee may co-opt further Members (so long as the total Committee is no more than 12) who shall serve until the next annual general meeting. Co-opted members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Management Committee.

9.9      The Management Committee may appoint any Member to fill any casual vacancy on the Management Committee until the next annual general meeting when that person shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.

• Retiring members of the Management Committee may be re-elected.

• A member of the Management Committee shall be deemed to have vacated office if:

• he becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or

• a registered medical practitioner who is treating that person gives a written opinion to the Management Committee stating that that person has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a member of the Management Committee and may remain so for more than three months; or

• by reason of that person’s mental health, a court makes an order which wholly or partly

prevents that person from personally exercising any powers or rights which that person would otherwise have; or

• he resigns his office by notice to the Club; or

• he shall without sufficient reason for more than three consecutive meetings of the Management Committee have been absent without permission of the Management Committee and the Management Committee resolves that his office be vacated; or

• he is suspended from holding office or from taking part in any activity relating to the administration or management of the Club by a decision of the CLTA or the LTA; or

• he is requested to resign by not less than two-thirds of the other Management Committee members acting together.

• Any person accepting election or nomination to the Management Committee who has any financial interest in the Game must, before such election or nomination, state in writing to the Club all such interests. Failure to do so will lead to automatic disqualification from Management Committee membership. The Management Committee has the right to veto such an election if, in its opinion, it is not in the best interests of the Club.

 

10. Proceedings of the Management Committee

• Management Committee meetings shall be held as often as the Management Committee thinks fit provided that there shall not be less than 4 meetings each year. The quorum for such meetings shall be four. The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary shall have discretion to call emergency meetings of the Management Committee if they consider it to be in the interests of the Club. The Honorary Secretary shall give all the members of the Management Committee not less than 7 days' notice of a meeting unless all members of the Committee agree to waive this.

• The President shall be the chairman of the Management Committee. Unless he is unwilling to do so, the President shall preside at every meeting of the Management Committee at which he is present. But if there is no person holding that office, or if the President is unwilling to preside or is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the Honarary Secretary shall preside. If there is no Honorary Secretary or if he is unwilling to preside, of if he is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the members of the Management Committee present may appoint one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

• Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of an equality of votes the chairman or the acting chairman of that meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

• The Management Committee may from time to time appoint from among its number such sub-committees as it considers necessary and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Management Committee as the Management Committee may determine. All sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Management Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Management Committee. Sub-committees must be chaired by a member of the Management Committee but can include Members who are not part of the Management Committee.

• The Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club and shall have the sole right of appointing and determining the terms and conditions of service of employees of the Club. The Management Committee shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Club on behalf of all the Members.

• Any heritable property belonging to the Club shall be vested in the President, Secretary and Treasurer and their respective successors in Office as Trustees for the Club and they shall have full power to execute all necessary deeds in connection therewith.

• Every member of the Management Committee, employee or agent of the Club shall be indemnified by the Club and the Management Committee shall pay all costs, losses and expenses which any such member of the Management Committee, employee or agent may incur or for which he may become liable by reason of any contract entered into or act or thing done by him in good faith as such member of the Management Committee, employee or agent in accordance with the instructions of the Management Committee or of a general meeting of the Club or otherwise in the discharge of his duties. The Management Committee may give to any member of the Management Committee, employee or agent of the Club who has incurred or may be about to incur any liability at the request of or for the benefit of the Club such security by way of indemnity as may seem expedient.

• Any member of the Management Committee may participate in a meeting of the Management Committee by way of video conferencing or conference telephone or similar equipment which allows every person participating to hear and speak to one another throughout such meeting. A person so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall accordingly be counted in the quorum and be entitled to vote. Such a meeting shall be deemed

to take place where the largest group of those participating is assembled or, if there is no such group, where the chairman of the meeting is.

11. Annual general meeting

• The annual general meeting of the Club shall be held at such time as the Management Committee shall decide each year to transact the following business:

• to receive the President’s report of the activities of the Club during the previous year;

• to receive and consider the accounts of the Club for the previous year, the Honorary Treasurer's report as to the financial position of the Club;
• to receive the reports of other members of the Management Committee
• to consider the membership fees for the next subscription year
• to elect the members of the Management Committee
• to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with Rule 11.2 below;
• to deal with any other matters which the Management Committee desires to bring before the membership.

• Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the annual general meeting shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than 14 days before the meeting.

• No period greater than fifteen months shall elapse between one annual general meeting and the next.

12. Extraordinary general meetings

 

An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time by the Management Committee and shall be also called within 28 days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 20  Members, stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. If an extraordinary general meeting is called after receipt of a Members’ requisition the only business to be transacted at that meeting shall be the resolutions proposed in the requisition. If a Members’ requisitioned meeting is not called before the expiry of a period of 28 days commencing on the date of the request, the Members requisitioning the meeting may call the meeting at any time before the expiry of two months commencing on the date of that request.

 

13. Procedures at the annual and extraordinary general meetings

• The Honorary Secretary shall send to each Member at his last known email address written notice of the date, time and place of the general meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed and, in the case of an annual general meeting, the names of the persons proposed to be elected as members of the Management Committee for the ensuing year at least 14 days before the meeting. The accidental failure to give notice to any person entitled to notice, or the accidental omission of any such details in any notice, shall not invalidate the proceedings at the meeting.

13.2     The quorum for the annual and extraordinary general meetings shall be 20 Members or one-fifth of the membership of the Club (whichever is the smaller number). No business other than the appointment of the chairman of the meeting shall be transacted at the general meeting if the persons attending it do not constitute a quorum.

• The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club but if he is not present within 10 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or has signified his inability to be present at the meeting, the Members present and entitled to vote may choose one of the other members of the Management Committee present to preside and if no other member of the Management Committee is present or willing to preside the Members present and entitled to vote may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

• If the persons attending an annual or extraordinary general meeting do not constitute a quorum within half an hour of the time at which the meeting was due to start, or if during a meeting, a quorum ceases to be present, the chairman of the meeting must adjourn it. The chairman of the meeting must adjourn the meeting if directed to do so by the meeting. When adjourning an annual or extraordinary general meeting the chairman of the meeting must specify the time and place to which it is adjourned or state that it is to continue at a time and place to be fixed by the members of the Management Committee. The chairman must have regard to any directions as to the time and place of any adjournment which have been given by the meeting. If the continuation of an adjourned annual or extraordinary general meeting is to take place more than 14 days after it was adjourned the Club must give at least 7 days notice to the persons to whom notice of the Club’s meetings is required to be given in accordance with rule 13.1. No business can be transacted at adjourned annual or extraordinary general meetings which could not properly have been transacted at the meeting if the adjournment had not taken place.

• Members of the Management Committee may attend and speak at annual or extraordinary general meetings, whether or not they are Members. The chairman of the meeting may permit other persons who are not Members to attend and speak at a meeting.

• Each Full Member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those Members present and voting. In the event of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

• No objection may be raised as to the qualification of any person voting at a meeting except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is tendered, and every vote not disallowed at the meeting is valid. Any such objection must be referred to the chairman of the meeting.

• The Honorary Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Management Committee, shall take minutes at annual and extraordinary general meetings.

• There shall be no right for a Member to vote by proxy. No person may represent more than one Member.

14. Guests

• Any Member may introduce guests to the Club, and any player, coach, other team representative, match official or spectator attending the Club's premises (by invitation of the Club) who is not a Member shall be a guest of the Management Committee, provided that no one whose application for membership has been declined or who has been expelled from the Club may be introduced as a guest.

15. Alteration of the Rules
    • The Rules may be altered by resolution at an annual or extraordinary general meeting provided that the resolution shall not be passed unless carried by at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at the general meeting, the notice of which contains particulars of the proposed alteration or addition.

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16.      Regulations

 

The Management Committee shall have power to make, repeal and amend such Regulations as it may from time to time consider necessary for the wellbeing of the Club. Such regulations and and any repeals or amendments to them shall have effect until set aside by the Management Committee.

 

17. Use of Facilities

 

The Club agrees that all unlicensed and unregistered coaches and, so far as reasonably practicable, players and other persons using the facilities of the Club will be required, as a condition of such use, to agree to be bound by and subject to these rules, the rules and regulations of the relevant CLTA, the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code, such agreement to contain an express acknowledgement that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 applies and that the LTA and the CLTA can enforce any breach at its option and in its sole discretion.

 

18. Finance

• All moneys payable to the Club shall be received by the person authorised by the Management Committee to receive such moneys and shall be deposited in a bank account in the name of the Club. No sum shall be drawn from that account except by cheque or online bank transfer authorised by the Honorary Treasurer. An upper limit may be set by the Management Committee requiring a second authorisation from another nominated member of the Management Committee for sums exceeding that limit. Any moneys not required for immediate use may be invested as the Management Committee in its discretion thinks fit.

• Subject to Rule 26.3, the income and property of the Club shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club and no part thereof shall be paid by way of bonus, dividend or profit to any Member.

• The Management Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any officer, member of the Management Committee, Member or employee of the Club and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club. The remuneration of a member of the Management Committee, Member or employee of the Club or other person may take any form and may include any arrangements in connection with the payment of a pension, allowance or gratuity, or any death or sickness or disability benefits to, or in respect of, that person.

• The Club may pay any reasonable expenses that members of the Management Committee properly incur in connection with the exercise of their powers and the discharge of their responsibilities in relation to the Club.

• The financial transactions of the Club shall be recorded by the Honorary Treasurer in such manner as the Management Committee thinks fit.

• Full accounts of the financial affairs of the Club shall be prepared each year.

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23. Borrowing

• The Management Committee may only borrow funds on behalf of the Club for the purposes of the Club with the sanction of a general meeting.

23.2     When so borrowing the Management Committee shall have power to raise in any way any sum or sums of money and to raise the repayment of any sum or sums of money in such manner on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit provided that in the event that the repayment of any sum or sums is to be secured (in particular by mortgage of or charge upon, or by the issue of debentures charged upon all or any part of the property of the Club) the grant of such security must be approved by the Club at a general meeting).

• The Management Committee shall have no power to pledge the personal liability of any Member for repayment of any sums so borrowed.

• The Trustees shall, at the discretion of the Management Committee, make such dispositions of the Club's property or any part thereof, and enter into and execute such agreements and instruments in relation thereto, as the Management Committee may deem proper for giving security for such moneys and the interest payable thereon.

24. Property

• The property of the Club, other than cash at the bank, shall be vested in the Trustees. They shall deal with the property as directed by resolution of the Management Committee and entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence of such a resolution.

• The Trustees shall be indemnified by the Club and the Management Committee shall pay all costs, losses and expenses which any such Trustee may incur or for which he may become liable by reason of any contract entered into or act or thing done by him in good faith as such Trustee in accordance with the instructions of the Management Committee or of a general meeting of the Club or otherwise in the discharge of his or their duties. The Management Committee may give to any Trustee, who has incurred or may be about to incur any liability, at the request of or for the benefit of the Club such security by way of indemnity as may seem expedient.]

25. Notices

• The Club can send, make available or supply any notice, ballot paper, accounts, document, or

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other information by personal delivery, by posting it to the intended recipient’s usual address, by sending it or supplying it in electronic form to an address notified by the intended recipient to the Club or by making it available on a website and notifying the intended recipient of its availability in accordance with this rule.

• If any notice or other information is left by the Club at the intended recipient’s usual address, it is treated as being received on the day it was left.

• If any notice or other information is sent by the Club by post, it is treated as being received the day after it was posted if first class post was used, or 72 hours after it was posted if first class post was not used. In proving that any notice or other information was received, it is sufficient to show that the envelope was properly addressed and put into the postal system with postage paid.

• If any notice or other information was sent using electronic means, it is treated as being received on the day it was sent. In the case of notices or other information available on a website, the notice or other information is treated as being received on the day on which it was made available on the website or, if later, the day on which the notice of availability is treated as being received by the intended recipient in accordance with this rule.

26. Dissolution

• A resolution to dissolve the Club shall be proposed only at an extraordinary general meeting and shall be passed only if carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting.

• The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Management Committee shall be responsible for the winding-up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

• Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to another non-profit making tennis club or voluntary organisation having objects similar to those of the Club or to a registered charity for lawn tennis or the LTA for use in community related tennis initiatives