Bucklebury Tennis Club Constitution

 BUCKLEBURY MEMORIAL HALL TENNIS CLUB CONSTITUTION

  1. Name

The Club is called BUCKLEBURY MEMORIAL HALL TENNIS CLUB.

  1. Objects

The objects of the Club are to provide tennis courts for its members, to encourage and facilitate the playing of tennis and to organise social activities for its members

3.  Membership

3.1  The Club consists of:-­

Family Members

Adult Members

Student Members

Junior Members

3.2  A Family Membership shall be for all members of one family living together at the same address

An Adult Membership shall be for one adult person aged 18 or over

A Student Membership shall be for one full time student

A Junior Membership shall be for one child aged under 18

3.3    There shall be no restriction on eligibility for membership

3.4     Each member agrees as a condition of membership of the Club to be bound by and subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code

3.5    The Club agrees that all unlicensed and unregistered coaches Club members the Committee and any other persons using the facilities of the Club agree to be bound by and subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code and that the LTA and the Club can enforce any breach at its option and at its sole discretion.

In this Rule3 :-

  • “LTA” means the Lawn Tennis Association as constituted from time to time including any subsidiary or successor entity
  • “LTA Rules” means the rules of the LTA in force from time to time
  • “LTA Disciplinary Code” means the disciplinary code of the LTA in force from time to time
  • The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties)Act 1999 shall apply to this Rule 3 so that the  LTA may enforce any breach of the LTA Rules and/or the Disciplinary Code

4. Management

4.1   The Club is managed by a Committee of Members of the Club comprising a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Maintenance Officer, Welfare Officer, Social Secretary and such other officers as the Committee shall deem fit

4.2   The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year and subject to termination of office by resignation removal or otherwise, the members shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the Annual or a Special General Meeting following their election

4.3  The Committee may fill any vacancy that may occur in membership of the Committee during the year

4.4  No Committee member shall be liable in a personal capacity for any acts properly carried out in good faith by that member in furtherance of any of the objects of the Club.

5.    Subscriptions

5.1   Annual subscriptions are due on 1st April in every year

5.2    The amount of the subscriptions shall be determined every year by the decision of the Committee but shall not take effect until confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting.

5.3  If any member's annual subscription has not been paid by 31 May (subject to events and members advised), the member shall no longer be deemed to be a member of the Club. Members can re-join at any time, 

6.   Visitor Fees

6.1   A member may allow a non-member to play on the Club courts with the member subject to payment of a visitor fee the amount of which shall be determined each year by the decision of the Committee and confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting

7.    Resignation

7.1  A member wishing to resign from the Club must give notice in writing to the Secretary. Unless notice is given to the Secretary before 1st May in any year, the subscription for that year shall be payable in any event, unless the Committee agrees to waive payment

7.2  On resigning or failing to renew his membership, the member shall return his court key to the Secretary

8.   Expulsion

8.1  The Committee may expel any member who offends against the rules of the Club or whose conduct in the opinion of the Committee renders him unfit for membership of the Club

8.2  Before any such member is expelled the Secretary must give him fourteen days' written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and must inform him of the complaints made against him

8.3  No member may be expelled unless he has first had an opportunity to appear before the Committee and answer complaints made against him and at least two­ thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion

9.   Alteration of rules

9.1  The Committee may alter these rules but no alteration takes effect until it has been confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose

10.    Annual General Meetings

10.1  An Annual General meeting of the Club must be held in every year not later than 1st April and must:­

  • receive and if approved adopt the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting of the Club
  • receive a report by the Chairman of the Club's activities during the preceding year and other Committee members as appropriate
  • receive and if approved adopt a statement by the Cub Treasurer of the Club's accounts to the 31st  December of the preceding year
  • consider and if approved sanction any duly made alteration of the rules
  • appoint the officers and other members of the Committee
  • deal with any special matter which the Committee or any Club member wishes to raise before the Club

10.2   Notice convening the Annual General Meeting must be sent to the members and posted on the Club notice board not less than 10 days before the meeting and must specify the matters to be dealt with

11.    Special General Meetings

11.1  A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee and must be convened within 21 days from the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 5 members specifying the object of the meeting   

11.2   A Special General Meeting may be convened:­

11.2.1  to consider and if approved sanction any duly made alteration of the rules

11.2.2   to deal with any special matter which the Committee wishes to place before the members

11.2.3 to remove any member or members of the Committee from office and to fill any vacancy or vacancies caused by the removal or

11.2.4 to deal with any special matter which the members requiring the meeting wish to raise before the Club

11.3  Notice convening a Special General Meeting must be sent to members and posted on the Club notice board not less than 10 days before the meeting and must specify the matters to be dealt with

12.    Chairman's casting vote

12.1  At Committee Meetings and at General Meetings the Chairman shall preside (or a deputy in their absence) and shall have the casting vote in the event of an equality of votes

13     Quorums

13.1  The following numbers are required to form a quorum -

13. 1.1  at Committee meetings (except for the purposes of Rule 9), 3

13.1.2   at Committee meetings for the purpose of Rule 9, half the total members of the committee

13.1.3  at General Meetings, 7

13.2   Junior members may attend General Meetings but they are not entitled to vote and shall not be counted as part of the necessary quorum

14.    Regulations

14.1   The Committee may from time to time make such regulations as it may deem expedient for the running of the Club and the use of the Club tennis courts provided that such regulations are not inconsistent with these rules

14.2   All regulations made by the Committee under this Rule are binding on Club members until repealed by the Committee or set aside by a resolution of an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting of the Club

15.   No Profits for Members

15.1  No member may receive any profit or remuneration from the funds or transactions of the Club

15.2   Any member may be reimbursed by the Club for expenses properly incurred in connection with the objects of the Club

16.    Club Funds

16.1  Club Funds shall be held in an interest bearing account of the Club's bank approved by the Committee.

17.    Dissolution and Application of Club Funds

 If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Club is passed  by a majority of the Members present and entitled to vote and if that resolution is confirmed by a majority of two thirds of the Members present and entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting held not less than one month after the General Meeting, the Committee shall proceed to realise the assets of the Club and after the discharge of all liabilities shall place the balance at the disposal of the Memorial Hall Management Committee for use by the Bucklebury Parish Council towards the provision of tennis playing facilities for the Bucklebury Community

Last reviewed  June 2024