1.         Name

            The Club, very probably established in the 1880s, is called the Cambridge University Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, otherwise referred to as “The Cocks & Hens LTC” ("the Club").

2.         Definitions

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

            "the CLTA"                                   means Cambridgeshire County Lawn Tennis Association;

            "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 Club”                                      means The Cocks & Hens Lawn Tennis Club;

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

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

            "the Officers"                                 means those who occupy the nominated positions on the Management Committee;

            "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;

            “the Membership Secretary”          means that person appointed by the Management Committee to handle applications for membership;

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

2.2       Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa.

3.         Objects

            The objects of the Club are:

            (a)        principally to provide facilities for tennis, but also any other sport in which the Club may wish to participate and generally to promote, encourage and facilitate the playing of these sports in Cambridge and the area surrounding wherever the Club may be situate;

1. to provide and maintain Club premises at Grantchester Road, Cambridge (or wherever the Club may be situate) and Club-owned tennis equipment and any other equipment for the use of its members;
2. to promote, improve, develop and support the interests of the sports referred to in clause 3(a) above and to such other benefits as its members shall think fit;
3. to provide other ordinary benefits of an amateur sports club as set out in Schedule 18 of the Finance Act 2002 including without limitation provision of suitably qualified coaches, coaching courses, insurance, medical treatment, post-match refreshments;

1. to sell or supply food or drink as a social adjunct to the sporting purposes of the Club;
2. to provide such other benefits to its members as it shall think fit;
3. 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;
4. to acquire, establish, own, operate and turn to account in any way the tennis court facilities of the Club together with buildings and easements, fixtures and fittings and accessories as shall be thought advisable;
5. 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;
6. 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);

(k)       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

4.1       The 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 another community amateur sports club for lawn tennis, to the LTA for use in community related lawn tennis initiatives, or to a charitable organisation, on winding-up or dissolution of the Club.

4.2       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 their 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

5.1       Eligibility for membership

5.1.1    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.

5.1.2    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    The number of Members is limited at the discretion of the Management Committee.

5.2       Admission of Members

            Any person who wishes to become a Member must submit an application in such form as the Management Committee in conjunction with the Membership Secretary (if there be one) shall decide. Every candidate for membership shall be considered by the Membership Secretary who shall, in their absolute discretion, decide whether to admit that candidate as a Member: should there be any doubt in the mind of the Membership Secretary or should they consider the applicant unsuitable for membership, then they should first refer the matter to the Management Committee for confirmation.

5.3       Classes of Members

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

• Full member
• Associate member
• Family members
• Young Adult members (under 28 years old as of 1st January)
• Parent practice member
• Student member (being a full-time student, aged 19 and above as at 1st January)
• Junior member (being aged 18 and under as at 1st January)
• Junior Mini member (being aged 8 and under as at 1st January)
• Temporary member (periods specified by the Management Committee)
• Non player member

In addition, the Annual General Meeting may elect persons to the position of Honorary Member and Life Vice President. A Vice President will have served the Club with distinction and shall be entitled to attend the meetings of the Executive Committee, but not to vote.

5.3.2    The Management Committee shall be empowered to vary these categories from time to time and to define these categories in further detail as it deems appropriate.

5.3.3    All members aged 18 or over, with the exception of Honorary Members, Temporary Members and Social Members (unless they serve on the Management Committee of the Club) shall be entitled to receive notice of and vote at general meetings.

5.4       Subscriptions

5.4.1    The annual subscription (and entrance fee if one is charged) for each type of Member shall be reviewed annually by the Management Committee and approved at the next Annual General Meeting to be held.

5.4.2    The Members shall pay the annual subscription fees (and entrance fee if one is charged) as set by the Management Committee and approved by the Annual General Meeting from time to time.

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

5.4.4    Any Member whose renewal subscription is not paid by the first day of June shall be deemed to have resigned their membership of the Club: new entrants’ entrance fee (if there be one) and subscription should be paid within one month of their first appearance at 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 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

7.1       The 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 them to remain a Member.

1. A Member shall not be expelled unless given fourteen days' written notice of the meeting of the Committee at which their expulsion shall be considered and written details of the complaint made against them.
2. The 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 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 their expulsion.

7.4       The Management Committee may exclude the Member from the Club's premises until the meeting considering their expulsion has been held. For the avoidance of doubt, the member shall be entitled to attend that meeting for the purpose of making their 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 they have no right to the return of any part of their subscription.