Club Rules

APPROVED 08-10-2015

Aims

Bassett Lawn Tennis Club (the Club) is a members’ club, run by and for the benefit of its members. The Club has its own Constitution to set out the guiding principles of the Club, and Rules to facilitate its management.

As a member of the Club, you are asked at all times to support and promote its endeavours. All members of the Committee are volunteers, and as a member you are also asked to assist wherever possible with the running of the Club.

The Rules, together with the Constitution, are for your guidance. This is not an exhaustive code of behaviour. You are asked at all times to respect the Club’s property, other members and our neighbours.

Club Constitution and Club Rules

Some items in the Constitution are also paraphrased in the Rules below. Changes to some parts of the Rules will also require an amendment to the Constitution.

The Rules can be varied at the discretion of the Committee, subject to the normal quorum and majority rules. All changes throughout the year should be ratified or amended at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). An item should be included on the AGM agenda to allow changes to the Rules to be made.

The Constitution can only be altered at the AGM or by a properly constituted General Meeting. Under the Constitution an elected Committee manages the Club.

The Rules and Constitution should be posted on the Club web site and should be clearly displayed in the clubhouse at all times. All members should familiarise themselves with, and abide by, the Rules and Constitution.

Repeated violations of the rules should be reported to a member of the Committee, which will deal with it as seen fit. A Disciplinary Sub-committee will be convened for the purpose of dealing with exceptional cases, on an individual basis.

Members are encouraged to make constructive comment about the running of the Club, this should be in writing, and handed to the Chairman or Secretary at least 14 days before the next publicised meeting of the Committee.

Membership

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are determined annually at the AGM. As a default position, and as a guide to the committee, the committee’s recommendation to the AGM for the level of subscription for the following year should, in normal circumstances, be based on the annual change in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to the end of August in that year. If circumstances determine that the committee wish to recommend a different level of change the full reasons for this recommendation should be explained to the AGM.

The Subscription Year runs from April 1 to March 31. All age categories are based on the member’s age on April 1 at the start of the subscription year. An Adult member must be 18 years or over. New members joining during or after
June of a subscription year will pay the pro rata rate determined by the Committee.

Subscriptions should be paid via the web site by April 1 each year. A discount of £10 against the normal fee will be applied to those members who pay early or on time.

Visitors

Non-members (visitors) can only play at the Club, with an introducing member. Before play all visitors’ names (excepting visiting players in official Club matches) must be entered into the Visitors Book and the appropriate daily fee for each visitor paid. The introducing member is wholly responsible for the payment of that fee, and the behaviour and compliance with the Rules of the visitor(s).

Non-members (visitors) can only play a maximum of six times in any membership year.

Officers of the Committee

The Constitution states that the Committee can co-op unelected members onto the Committee, provided that it brings the total to no more than 12 people (excluding the President, if applicable).

If the designated positions of Chair, Secretary or Treasurer are vacated during the year the Committee must ensure that they be filled, as soon as practicable, by an Acting Chair, Acting Secretary or Acting Treasurer as appropriate, until the next AGM.

The Acting Chair must be appointed from one of the Committee members elected at the previous AGM.

All Committee members (excluding the President, if applicable) must be playing members of the Club when they are elected at the AGM.

If any Committee member does not renew their playing membership during their year of office they may continue in the office to which they were elected until the next AGM, subject to committee approval.

In the event of a Secretary or Treasurer not being elected at an AGM the committee must, at its first meeting after the AGM, discuss how to fill the vacant role. The committee must, as its highest priority, appoint a Secretary or Treasurer at the earliest opportunity.

Until the Secretary or Treasurer is appointed the Chair’s name will be given to the LTA and any other relevant organisation as first contact. The work of the Secretary or Treasurer will be allocated to, and carried out, by the existing committee members.

Security

Security of the clubhouse and courts is paramount. The clubhouse has previously been a target for thieves. All members must ensure that the clubhouse and courts are properly secured when they leave the clubhouse, or that arrangements have been made with another member. Adults should remember that Juniors do not have clubhouse keys. At no time may the clubhouse and courts be left unsecured, if unattended. The front door should not be left unlocked at any time unless it is attended.

The Club is not responsible, nor insured, for members’ personal belongings. Bikes must be locked in the bike shed and not left anywhere else on the Club premises.

Court booking

Courts can only be booked through the web site. A member who has booked a court can ask another member to vacate the booked court. If a court is not booked no member has the right to ask another member (Adult or Junior) to move. If a member has not used a booked court within 15 minutes of the start of the booking time the right to the booked court is lost. If a member is unable to fulfil a booking the member must delete the booking immediately.

Adults can book courts 1 – 3 at any time provided that they are not already booked for an event (eg matches or group coaching). Courts can be booked for a maximum of two hours up to two weeks beforehand. Coaches need to book courts unless they have previously booked as an event.

Juniors cannot book courts, but on weekdays during school holidays they have priority over the use of court 4 all day until 6.00 pm or dusk (whichever is the sooner). During the school term junior priority is from 3.00 pm until 6.00 pm or dusk (whichever is the sooner). The booking sheets on the web site will show the times of junior priority. Adults cannot book court 4 at times of junior priority. Although adults can use court 4 at times of junior priority they are asked to vacate it if they are aware that juniors want to play.

At weekends court 4 will be booked for some of the time for events (eg matches or group coaching). At other times on the weekend court 4 will be either for adult booking or junior priority. As the timing of pre-booked events varies between the summer and winter seasons the web site should be checked for court availability.

Court use

Out of consideration for our neighbours play is not permitted before 8.00am (9.00am on Sunday) nor after 10.00 pm. The courts cannot be used for anything other than tennis unless the committee have specifically agreed such use.

Adult Members are permitted to use the floodlights (free of charge) if necessary, but must turn them off when a court is not in use and under no circumstances to use them after 10.00pm.

Shouting, swearing or making undue noise on court is not acceptable.

Dress on court is an important issue. At all times all players must wear acceptable tennis clothing and non-marking and non-damaging tennis shoes. Bare torsos or similar indiscretions will not be tolerated.

The courts should be swept after use unless the surface is too wet.

Any member of the Committee shall have the right to prevent play on any court, if, in their opinion, damage may result.

Sale of alcohol

The times and conditions governing the sale of intoxicating liquors at the Club shall be under the overall control of the Committee and in accordance with the Club’s licence. The Clubhouse should be vacated by 11.30 pm unless the Committee have specifically given permission for it to be used after this time.

Team captains’ responsibilities

These include:

Prompt arrival of all members of the team at the correct venue
Selection of the playing order and pairing of the team players
Behaviour and courtesy of all team members
Completion and signature of appropriate scorecards
Awareness of all rules concerning conduct of the match
Collection of the designated match fees from all players in the team
Accounting and payment of all fees collected at the end of each league season

Additional responsibilities at all home matches:

Availability of Club before start of match to welcome visitors
Preparation and availability of playing facilities including balls
Availability of refreshment and food where appropriate
Prompt start to match