The Club

FARM WALK LAWN TENNIS CLUB CONSTITUTION

1.Name

The Club is called Farm Walk Lawn Tennis Club ("the Club").

2.Definitions

2.1"the Chairman"means the person elected from time to time to be the chairman of the Club in accordance with Rule 9;

"the CLTA"means Middlesex County Lawn Tennis Association;

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

"the Honorary Treasurer"means the person elected/ appointed 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 lawn tennis within Great Britain, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) of the Queen's Club, West Kensington, London W14 9EG;

"the Management Committee"means the 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;

2.2Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine gender;

3.Objects

The objects of the Club are:

(a)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 Farm Walk London NW11 7TP

(c)to promote, improve, develop and support the interests of tennis;

(d)to such other benefits to its members as if shall think fit;

(e)to affiliate to the CLTA (and by doing so affiliate to the LTA) and to comply with and uphold the Rules and Regulations of the CLTA and the LTA as amended from time to time and the rules and regulations of any body to which the LTA is affiliated;

(f)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;

(g)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;

(h)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) where so required by the Rules and Regulations of the LTA or the CLTA (as the case may be);

(I)to do all such other things as the Management Committee thinks fit to further the interests of the Club or to be incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects stated in this Rule 3.

4.Application of Surplus Funds

4.1The Club is a non-profit-making organisation. All surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club's facilities and in furtherance of the Club's objects. No surplus will be distributed other than to the Members on winding-up or dissolution of the Club.

4.2Nothing 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 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

5.1Eligibility for membership

5.1.1Persons 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.

5.1.2Persons below the age of 18 may be elected as Junior Members without the right to hold office or vote at general meetings.

5.2Admission of Members

Any person who wishes to become a Member must submit an application in such form as the Management Committee shall decide. Every candidate for membership shall be considered by the Management Committee, which shall, in its absolute discretion, decide whether to admit that candidate as a Member.

5.3Classes of Members

5.3.1There shall be the following classes of members for the Club:

Full Member

Junior Member

Student,

  Parent Member

5.3.2Only Full Members shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote at general meetings. The other Members shall be entitled to all the other privileges of membership other than the right to receive notice of, attend and vote at general meetings.

5.3.3All members shall be subject to these Rules and the Regulations of the Club and shall abide by the rules and regulations of the LTA and the relevant CLTA, from time to time in force.

5.4Subscriptions

5.4.1The entrance fee and annual subscription for each type of Member shall be determined from time to time by the Management Committee.

5.4.2The Members shall pay any entrance fee and annual subscription fees set by the Management Committee from time to time.

5.4.3No 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.

6.Resignation

A Member may withdraw from membership of the Club on 1 month’s 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

7.1The Management Committee shall have power to expel a Member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the sport or of the Club for him to remain a Member.

7.2A Member shall not be expelled unless he is given 14 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.

7.3The Member shall be given an opportunity to make written representations and/or to appear before the Management Committee and at any such meeting to be accompanied by a representative or friend, who may answer complaints made against the member and to cross-examine any witnesses on behalf of the member. The member must not be expelled unless at least [two-thirds] of the Management Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion.

7.4The 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.

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.

The Management Committee may refund an appropriate part of a resigning Member's subscription if it considers it appropriate taking account of all the circumstances

9.The Management Committee

9.1The Club shall be managed by a Management Committee consisting of:

(a)the Chairman;

(b)the Honorary Secretary;

(c)the Honorary Treasurer;

(d)no more than 11 other Members elected annually at the annual general meeting

9.2The Management Committee shall decide in its discretion how Members may be nominated to be members of the Management Committee and shall notify the Members accordingly.

9.3In addition to the members elected or appointed in accordance with this Rule 9, the Management Committee may co-opt up to 3 further Members who shall serve until the next annual general meeting. Co-opted members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Management Committee.

9.4Retiring members of the Management Committee may be re-elected.

9.5A member of the Management Committee shall be deemed to have vacated office if:

(a)he becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or

(b)he is, or may be, suffering from mental disorder; or

(c)he resigns his office by notice to the Club; or

(d)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

(e)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

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

10.Proceedings of the Management Committee

10.1Management Committee meetings shall be held as often as the Management Committee thinks fit provided that there shall not be less than 7 meetings each year. The quorum for such meetings shall be 5. 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 21 days' notice of a meeting.

10.2The Chairman shall be the chairman of the Management Committee.] Unless he is unwilling to do so, the Chairman 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 Chairman is unwilling to preside or 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.

10.3Decisions 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.

10.4The 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.

10.5The 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.

10.6[The members of the Management Committee shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Club.]

11.Annual general meeting

11.1The 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:

(a)to receive the Chairman's report of the activities of the Club during the previous year;

(b)to receive and consider the accounts of the Club for the previous year, and the Honorary] Treasurer's report as to the financial position of the Club;

(c)[to remove and elect the auditor or confirm that he remain in office];

(d)[to elect the [Officers and other] members of the Management Committee;

(e)to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with Rule 11.2 below;

(f)to deal with any other matters which the Management Committee desires to bring before the membership.

11.2Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the annual general meeting shall be given in writing to the [Honorary] Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting.

11.3No 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 called within 21 days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 2/3rds of the Members stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed.

13.Procedures at the annual and extraordinary general meetings

13.1The Honorary Secretary shall send to each Member at his last known address written notice of the date of the general meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 21 days before the meeting.

13.2The quorum for the annual and extraordinary general meetings shall be 10% Members

13.3The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Club but if he is not present within [15] 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.

13.4Each 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 .

13.5The Honorary Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Management Committee, shall take minutes at annual and extraordinary general meetings.

13.6There shall be no right for a Member to vote by proxy. No person may represent more than one Member.

14.Guests

14.1Any 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.

14.2The Member introducing a guest and any person introduced as a guest of the Management Committee in accordance with Rule 16.1 must enter the name and address of the guest together with the name of the introducer in a book which must be kept on the Club's premises.

14.3No one may be admitted as a guest on more than three occasions in any calendar year.

15.Alteration of the rules

15.[1]These Rules may be altered by resolution at an annual or extraordinary general meeting provided that the resolution shall not be passed unless carried by a majority of 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.

16.Regulations and Standing Orders

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

17Finance

17.1All 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 signed by the Chairman, and /or the Honorary Treasurer. Any moneys not required for immediate use may be invested as the Management Committee in its discretion thinks fit.

17.2Subject to Rule 19.3, 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.

17.3The 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.

17.4The financial transactions of the Club shall be recorded in such manner as the Management Committee thinks fit by the Honorary Treasurer.

17.5Full accounts of the financial affairs of the Club shall be prepared each year. These accounts shall be duly audited by the auditors. The accounts must be made available to every Member when notice concerning the annual general meeting is given.

18Borrowing

181The Management Committee may borrow a maximum total amount of £25,000.00 on behalf of the Club for the purposes of the Club from time to time at its own discretion and with the sanction of a general meeting any further money above that sum.

18.2When so borrowing the Management Committee shall have power to raise in any way any sum or sums of money and to raise and secure the repayment of any sum or sums of money in such manner and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, and 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.] OR

18.3The Management Committee shall have no power to pledge the personal liability of any Member for repayment of any sums so borrowed.

19.Dissolution

19.1A 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.

19.2The 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.

19.3Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be paid to or distributed among the Members equally.