Glebian Tennis Club Constitution

1.    Glebian Tennis Club

The Club will be called Glebian Tennis Club (hereinafter will be referred to as the Club), and will be registered and affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association.

2.    Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Club will be:
To offer tennis coaching and competitive opportunities
To promote the Club and tennis participation within the local community 
To manage the Club premises and grounds at West End Road, Southampton
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club
To provide all services in a way that is fair to everyone

3.    Membership

Membership of the Club is open to anyone interested in participating in or supporting tennis, coaching or volunteering, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. Those who are beginners can be taught through sessions with the Club's coach, who will assess when their play is of a standard appropriate to join the Club and mix-in sessions.

The membership shall consist of the following categories:
Full Member
Junior Member (anyone 16 years or under)
Student Member (anyone over the age of 16 but under 21 and in full time education
Family Membership (with either 1 or 2 parents)
Parent or Guardian of a Junior Member
Winter Member (eligible to play from 1st October to 31st March)
Social Member

All members will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these regulations, policies and codes of practice that the Club has adopted. 

Members in each category will pay membership fees.  Membership will run from 1st April to 31st March the following year. The costs and timeframes for paying these fees will be determined at the Annual General Meeting. 

Individuals shall not be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection of any Club team unless the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Club Committee.

4.    Guests

Members can bring guests to the Club and shall be responsible for ensuring that their details are entered in the Visitors' Book, the appropriate fee is paid to the Treasurer and that the guest conducts themselves in an appropriate manner

Players interested in joining the Club as a member shall be invited along as a guest to a mix-in session. The Club member responsible for the invitation shall ensure that the visitor is aware of the need to sign the Visitors' Book. 

No one may be admitted as a guest on more than 3 occasions.

5.    Equal Opportunities

The Club is committed to ensuring that equity and equal opportunities is incorporated across all aspects of its development.

The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of tennis, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status. 
The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse. 
All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity. 
The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to Club disciplinary procedures.

6.      Committee         

The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of 4 Officers who are Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary and up to 5 ordinary members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. 
 All Committee members must be members of the Club. 
The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election. 
If the post of any Officer or ordinary Committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting. 
Any member of the Committee who misses 3 consecutive Committee meetings, without reasonable cause (as agreed with the Chair), shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee 
The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policies, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the Club, which will be circulated to members. 
The Committee will have powers to appoint any advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business. 
The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the Club rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary and be held no less than 3 times per year. 
Only Committee members will have the right to vote at Committee meetings. 
The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be 5, including 2 of the Officers.

7.       Finances

The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Club. 

The financial year of the Club will run from 1st April and end on 31st March.

All Club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club except for a small amount required for petty cash 

An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. 

Any cheques drawn against Club funds should hold the signatures of 2 of the bank signatories (i.e. the Treasurer, the Chair and the Secretary).  

All members of the Club shall be jointly responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club. 

Any surplus income will be held in Club funds.  No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.

8.       Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings

General Meetings are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club’s affairs. 
The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the month of April to:
        Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM. 
        Receive reports from the Chair and Club Secretary. 
        Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts (provided these have 
been signed as correct by the Auditor)
        Elect the Officers and ordinary members to the Committee. 
        Agree the membership fees for the following year. 
        Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.
        Deal with other relevant business.
        
The Secretary will give members notice of the AGM at least 28 days before the date of the AGM.

Members must notify the Secretary at least 21 days before the AGM of anything they wish to bring up at the AGM so that it can be added to the agenda. 

The Secretary will send the agenda to all members at least 14 days before the date of the AGM 

Nominations for Officers and ordinary members of the Committee must be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM.  

Proposed changes to the Constitution shall be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM, who shall circulate them at least 7 days before an AGM. 

All adult members have the right to vote at the AGM (i.e junior and student members do not have the right to vote)  

The quorum for AGMs will be 25% of the adult members 

Members who do not attend the AGM do not have the right to vote by proxy. However, for major decisions they will be offered the opportunity to send their vote by e-mail to the Secretary if they are unable to attend the AGM.  

The Chair shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at General and Committee meetings.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 20% of the adult playing members of the Club.  

The Committee shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the Committee members.  

All procedures shall follow those outlined above for AGMs. 

9    Amendments to the Constitution

The Constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

10        Discipline and Appeals

All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and adults at risk will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the Club’s Safeguarding policy and procedures. The Club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any safeguarding concerns.

All other complaints will be dealt with in accordance with the Club's Complaints Procedure which is displayed on the Club's website.

11    Dissolution

A resolution to dissolve the Club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM where at least over 
60% of adult club members are present and where there is a majority of 75% of those present   

In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with any Clubs funds.  Any assets of 
the Club that remain following this will be given or transferred to another non-profit making tennis Club or voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of the Club, or to a registered charity for lawn tennis or the LTA for use in community related initiatives 

Agreed by Glebian Tennis Club AGM on …………22nd July 2021………………..................

Version 7 May 2021

Amended  at AGM on 20th April 2022