Beauchief Tennis Club Rules c.2017

1. NAME
The name of the Club shall be "Beauchief Tennis Club" (hereinafter called "the Club")

2. OBJECTS
The objects of the Club shall be to provide facilities for the playing of lawn tennis, to arrange tournaments, matches and competitions and to organise such social events as may be run for the benefit of Members generally. No money or property of the Club nor any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club shall or may be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the Club as a whole or for charitable or benevolent purposes.

3. PREMISES AND ADDRESS
The Club premises shall be situated at and the address of the Club shall be:
35 Cockshutt Avenue, Sheffield S8 7DU.

4. AFFILIATION
The Club shall be affiliated to the Sheffield & District Lawn Tennis Association and such other associations as may be decided from time to time by the General Committee.

5. MEMBERSHIP
The Club shall be a Members' Club and shall consist of Ordinary, Honorary, Intermediate and Junior members as follows: -
(a) Ordinary Members: Who shall either be playing Members or social Members. Applications for Membership can be done electronically via the membership website, or in person with the membership secretary at the Club. Applications for membership shall be made on the membership website where a valid email address must be provided along with their name and address and pertinent additional information.
(b) The membership will not become active until at least 48 hours have passed since the application and the General Committee have the right to decline applications, by means of a majority vote, any applicants they feel will not adhere to the rules, by-laws and values of The Club.
(c) The club rules will be provided electronically upon completion of application and card access to the club be provided, ideally to the applicant in person where they can gain an understanding of how the club operates and the social aspects of the club explained in full, either by the membership secretary of a current member of the General Committee.
(b) Honorary Members:
Who shall not be liable to pay any entrance fee or subscription but shall be entitled to all the privileges of
Membership. Such members may be elected by the Club in General Meeting, so however, that there shall not at any one time be more than six Hon. Members.
(c) Intermediate Members
Intermediate Members (16/17yrs) on August 31st in any membership year, to be afforded all club facilities (except the supply of intoxicating liquor unless 18 yrs. and the right to vote)
(d) Junior Members: With a maximum age of 15 years and 11 months on August 31st in any membership year. Junior Members may be admitted to the membership of the Club but they shall not be entitled to any of the privileges of membership other than to use the Club premises at the discretion of the General Committee & subject to any of the Bye-Laws drawn up under rule 21.

6. COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS.
(a) The affairs of the Club in all matters not in these Rules reserved for the Club in General Meeting shall be managed by the General Committee of the Club
(b) The General Committee of the Club shall consist of: -
(i) The Honorary Secretary
(ii) The Honorary Treasurer
(iii) Seven Ordinary Members of the Club. (iv) Additional full members, invited to provide assistance to the club in an advisory capacity during any development programmes, planning or for the general benefit of the club as a whole.
(c) Members of the General Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. The Hon. Secretary & the Hon.Treasurer shall both go out of office in every year but shall automatically be eligible for re-election unless they have indicated their unwillingness to seek re-election. At each Annual General Meeting all other members of the Gen. Committee who shall have served on the General Committee for three years since last being elected shall retire from the General Committee and nominations for election shall be for the places on the General Committee so vacated, the retiring members being eligible for re-election.
(d) Any ordinary member of the Club may nominate or propose any other member for election to the office of Hon. Sec. or Hon. Treas. or to be a member of the General Committee, provided that an ordinary member shall not be eligible for election unless his consent to be nominated has been previously obtained and unless a written nomination signed by two ordinary members (who shall have been members of the club for at least two years) shall have been received by the Hon. Sec not less than 21 days prior to the date of the A.G.M. to enable such names to be displayed on the Notice Board.
(e) No person except a Member of the General Committee or a member authorised by the General Committee shall have authority to pledge the credit of the Club.

7. TRUSTEES
(a) Any freehold or leasehold property purchased by the club or on its behalf shall be vested in the names of four Trustees approved by the General Committee. Any vacancy may be filled up by the General Committee. The Trustees shall deal with such property as directed by resolution of the General
Committee (of which an entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence) and they shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Club property.
(b) In the event of the General Committee at any time not including one of the Trustees mentioned above in Rule 7 (a) , the Trustees shall have power to appoint one of their number to the General Committee in addition to the elected Members. Any Trustee so appointed shall have equal voting powers with the other Members of the General Committee. In addition, any other Trustee may have the right to attend General Committee Meetings without voting

8. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
The General Committee shall elect its own Chairman and shall appoint its own sub-committees which need not necessarily be Members of the General Committee.

9. COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Meetings of the General Committee shall be held on the second Wednesday of each calendar month. Seven days' notice of meetings shall be given to all Members of the General Committee. The quorum at a General Committee meeting shall be five. In case of an equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a further casting vote in addition to his ordinary vote.

10. CASUAL VACANCY
The General Committee shall have power to fill any casual vacancy or advisory role amongst its own members which may occur within the year by to serve on the General Committee in line with Rule 6 (b) (iv). These advisory roles shall automatically retire at the Annual General Meeting, but may be eligible to extend their role into the following term should the General Committee require that members continued participation for a specific role or in an advisory capacity.

11. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 31st day of March in each and every year to receive and adopt the report of the General Committee and the statement of accounts, which shall be made up to the previous 31st December in each year and shall be audited by one or two members of the Club who shall be appointed Auditors for one year at the A.G.M. and to transact such other business as may be transacted at an A.G.M. The quorum at an A.G.M. shall be one-fifth of the Ordinary Members. In the event of a quorum not being present, the Chairman shall ask the Honorary and Ordinary Members present for permission to proceed in order to transact the Club’s business. All Honorary and Ordinary Members shall receive not less than six weeks' notice of the A.G.M. and shall have equal voting rights.

12. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
Any three members of the General Committee or any ten Ordinary Members of the Club may require the Hon. Secretary to call a Special General Meeting of which 21 days' notice in writing shall be given to Ordinary Members. The quorum and voting rights of Members at a Special General Meeting shall be as at an A.G.M.

13. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ENTRANCE FEES
The amount of Entrance Fee and Annual Subscriptions for the various classes of Members shall be recommended by the General Committee to the Members at the A.G.M. who shall have ultimate power to decide the respective amounts payable for the ensuing year. Subscriptions shall be due on the 1st April and must be paid by 31st May each year, after which date a late payment surcharge shall apply (excluding Junior members). In the event that the subscription, including any surcharge, is not paid by 30th June, it will be deemed that the membership has lapsed.

14. INTOXICATING LIQUOR
(a) No intoxicating liquor shall be supplied by or on behalf of the Club for consumption off the premises except to a member in person
(b) Intoxicating liquor shall not be supplied by or on behalf of the Club to a Member or visitor except at the Club premises, or at any premises or place which the Club is using on a special occasion for the accommodation of Members and to which persons other than Members and visitors are not permitted access; and at any premises or place other than the Club premises intoxicating liquor shall be supplied only for consumption on the premises or place.
(c) Written notice (signed by the Hon. Sec. of the Club) of the hours fixed as the permitted hours for the Club by or under these Rules shall be given to the Clerk to the Justices.
(d) The permitted hours for the supply of intoxicating liquor shall be: -
In accordance with the Licensing Act 2003.
They will specifically be as granted by the Licensing Authority and as stated in the Club Premises Certificate issued by the Authority.
(e) The Hon Secretary shall be responsible for applying for a Club Premises Certificate under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 and for having the same renewed from time to time as necessary.
(f) Intoxicating liquor shall not be supplied to Members on the premises other than by or on behalf of the Club.
(g) The purchase for the Club and supply by the Club of intoxicating liquor shall be managed by the General Committee which for the purposes of this Rule shall not include any member appointed to the General Committee under the provisions of Rule 7 (b) hereof.
(h) Written notice (signed by the Hon. Secretary of the Club) shall be given to the Clerk to the Justices of any change in the particulars of the Club which are contained or required to be contained in the Register by virtue of S.48 and of Regulations under Section 57, Licensing Act 1964.
(i) No person shall receive at the expense of the Club any commission percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchase of intoxicating liquor by the Club; nor shall directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of intoxicating liquor by or on behalf of the Club to Members or visitors, apart from any benefit accruing to the Club as a whole and apart also from any benefit accruing which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise or contributing to a general gain from the operation of the Club.
(j) No person under the age of eighteen years shall be served with intoxicating liquor.
(k) Only visitors whose names have been entered in the Visitor's Book by an Ordinary Member as provided by Rule 19 hereof shall be entitled to purchase intoxicating liquor.

15. OPENING OF CLUB PREMISES.
The Club premises shall be open to Members from 9.00a.m. until a closing time in accordance with Rule 14d, other than Juniors on every day of the year, or as the General Committee may from time to time determine.

16. OPENING OF COURTS
The Courts shall be open for play every week day and on Sundays unless they are unfit. The decision as to whether they are fit for play or not at any particular time shall rest with the General Committee or such subcommittee or persons as the General Committee may appoint.

17. BOOKING OF COURTS
Players shall only occupy a court for one short set. Singles shall not commence if there are four or more people waiting to play. The General Committee shall have power to give preference to the playing tournaments and matches. Booking of courts via the Club website or a mobile application, may be introduced as required by the General Committee to facilitate the control of playing members and to ensure that members have fair usage of the court playing time.

18. CONDITIONS OF PLAY FOR JUNIOR MEMBERS
Day and times of play for Junior Members shall be determined by the General Committee and details thereof shall be posted from time to time in the Club Pavilion.

19. GUESTS AND VISITING TEAMS
Honorary and Ordinary Members on introducing Guests to the Clubhouse must enter their names in the book provided for this purpose. In the case of teams, visiting the Club to participate in bona-fide league matches, a copy of the visitor details as recorded on team/result sheet shall be kept.
In the case of Guests who play tennis, Members are deemed responsible for the payment of playing fees which will be assessed from time to time by the General Committee. Members who bring guests shall inform the Hon. Secretary prior to any visit and remit the appropriate fee within 5 days of the event.

20. REGISTER OF MEMBERS
The Hon Sec shall be responsible for keeping an electronic register of all Members accessible by the General Committee, together with their names and addressed and Members must notify the Secretary of any change of address and email address.

21. BYE-LAWS
The General Committee shall have power to draw up such Bye-Laws as may be necessary for the running of the Club, provided that they in no way contravene any of the Rules, and as regards the permitted hours provided they are approved at the Annual General Meeting as required by Rule 14 (d)

22. DEROGATORY CONDUCT
If any Member shall wilfully violate any of the Rules or do any act which, in the opinion of the General Committee, is derogatory to the welfare of the Club, the General Committee may request such Member to resign and shall he or she refuse to do so then he or she shall be liable to expulsion upon the majority vote of the General Committee.

23. ALTERATION OF RULES
No alteration of the Rules of the Club shall be made except at an Annual or Special General Meeting and three weeks' notice shall be given of such proposed alterations to all Ordinary Members and Honorary Members of the Club.

24. WINDING-UP
(a) The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting.
(b) The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.
(c) After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
(i) to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
(ii) to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a
registered CASC and/or
(iii) to the Club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports