Effective from May 2017

For the full document covering the Constitution of Cowbridge Tennis Club please follow this link.

The Club is called Cowbridge Tennis Club.

The objectives of the Club is the playing and promotion of the game of Tennis and to encourage and provide social activities for the membership and to care for and maintain the clubhouse and courts.

The Club shall affiliate to Tennis Wales and thereby to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

The Club is an unincorporated association governed by a constitution (accepted, May 2017). It 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 objectives. No surpluses or assets will be distributed other than to another community amateur sports club for lawn tennis, to the LTA for the use in community related lawn tennis initiatives, or to a registered charitable organisation on dissolution of the Club.

The Constitution covers the formal aspects of the Club's activities.

Regulations govern the day-to-day running of the Club and are determined and periodically revised by the Committee.

The Regulations will be published on the Club Website.

The Club's financial year shall run from 1st October to 30th September.

Classes of membership, membership fees and entry fees shall be proposed by the Committee and determined at the AGM.

Membership of the Club shall be made up of adult playing members and such numbers of non-playing and junior members the Committee shall from time to time allow.

Visitors These are non-members who come to the Club to play competitive tennis, for example, in local league matches or in Tennis Wales or other competitions organised by the Club.

Guests These are non-members who accompany a Member to play social tennis, within limits set down in the full Constitution. The Member bringing the guest to the Club shall be responsible for the payment of a fee fixed by the Committee.

Lifetime Members The award of lifetime membership shall be strictly limited and granted at the discretion of the Committee for special services to the Club. The folowing people are lifetime members: Peter Launder

Members wishing to withdraw from membership or transfer to a different membership category shall notify the Membership Secretary. Partial refunds of annual subscription will only be made under exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of the Committee.

The Committee shall have the power to refuse membership or expel a member if it, in its sole discretion, determines that it would be in the interests of the Game or the Club to do so.

Members, Visitors or Guests leaving unattended vehicles, rackets, clothing or other property at the Club do so at their own risk and the Club shall not be responsible for any loss, damage or injury resulting from this or any other cause.

Management

The management of the Club shall be in the entire control of a Management Committee, (The Committee), consisting of the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, (the ex-officio members), and at least 4 other members of the Club.

The 3 ex-officio members are responsible for defining the number and roles of the additional officers of the Committee.

All members of the Committee shall be elected for one year at the Annual General Meeting. They shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-appointment.

The roles and responsibilities of Committee Members shall be published on the website.

During the year, the Committee can fill any vacancy arising on the Committtee, pending formal election at the following AGM.

The Committtee shall from time to time make and revise Club Regulations and shall have power to decide on matters unprovided for by the Constitution and Regulations.

The Committee shall meet frequently during the year. The quorum shall be four Committee members including two of the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

All Committee Members will have an equal vote on those matters requiring a formal decision. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

The Committee may delegate any part of its duties to a Club Officer or a sub-committee of Members.

General Meetings

An AGM shall be held each year during the winter when the annual report of the Committee and the statement of accounts up to the end of the financial year shall be presented.

The Club Secretary will give at least 28 days notice of the date of the AGM to all officers and members by e-mail.

Any member wishing to propose a resolution or nominate officers & committee members at the AGM must send it to the Club Secretary at least 21 days before the AGM so that it can be included on the Agenda.

The business of the AGM shall be:

• confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM and any subsequent EGM
• consideration of the Committee's Report
• consideration of the Treasurer's Accounts and report for the year
• the election of the officers of the Club for the folowing year
• any item of which notice has been given and details included in the Agenda
• further business may be accepted at the discretion of the Chairman provided that it does not call for an alteration of the Constitution, the winding up of the Club, the transfer of any of the Club's assets, the borrowing of money or any expenditure not within the immediate financial resources of the Club.

All adult members shall be entitled to attend and vote at general meetings. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

At any general meeting, the quorum shall be six members including the Chairman or Secretary.

The Committee shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), at its own discretion or following an application in writing to the Secretary signed by not less than 12 people eligible to attend and vote. Not less than 21 days notice of the date of an EGM shall be given to all officers and members by the Secretary by e-mail.

The Constitution shall be reviewed every three years. Date of the next review is May 2020.