Constitution
Kemsing Lawn Tennis Club Constitution and Rules
1. NAME
The name of the club will be THE KEMSING LAWN TENNIS CLUB.
2. LEGAL FORM
The Club is a Community Amateur Sports Club.
3. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Club are
a) To provide tennis, social and other activities for its Members and generally to encourage and facilitate the playing of tennis in the Community.
b) To provide and maintain the Club premises at Heaverham Road, Kemsing.
c) To do all such things as the Management Committee thinks fit to further the interests of the Club.
d) To provide all services in a way that is fair to everyone at the Club.
4. APPLICATION OF SURPLUS FUNDS.
a) The Club is a non-profit making organisation.
b) All surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club’s facilities and furtherance of the Club’s objectives.
c) If the Club is dissolved, any assets will be applied for sporting or charitable purposes, to comply with the legislation.
5. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of the game.
b) The Membership will consist of
i. Full
ii. Midweek
iii. Young Person: 19–25-year-old
iv. Junior: Up to and including age 18
c) All Members will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these regulations and the Codes of Conduct that the Club has adopted. (See separate Document – “Club Codes of Conduct”)
d) The Management Committee may refuse Membership only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or Sport into disrepute.
e) Members in each category will pay membership fees.
f) The costs and timeframes for paying these fees will be determined at the Annual General Meeting.
g) 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 team unless the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date or unless the Committee unanimously agrees to make an exception as a result of extraordinary circumstances.
h) Honorary Members are made at the discretion of the Management Committee and will have full rights and will pay no subscription.
6. EXPULSION
a) The Management Committee shall have the power to expel a Member for infringement of the Club Rules and may also expel a Member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain a Member.
b) A Member shall not be expelled unless they are given 14 days written notice and the opportunity to make written representation and / or appear before the Management Committee to answer complaints made against them.
c) The Member must not be expelled unless at least two thirds of the Management Committee have voted in favour of their expulsion.
d) The Management Committee may exclude the Member from the Clubs premises until the meeting considering their expulsion is held.
e) Any person ceasing to be a Member forfeits all rights and claims upon the Club and they have no right to the return of any part of their subscription.
f) The Management Committee may refund the appropriate part of a resigning Member’s subscription at its discretion.
7. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
a. The Management Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and comprise the following officers:
i. The Honorary Chairman
ii. The Honorary Secretary
iii. The Honorary Membership Secretary
iv. The Honorary Treasurer
v. The Match Secretary
vi. The Welfare Officer
vii. And up to six other Members to include a representative for the junior members.
b. The powers and duties of The Management Committee shall be as follows:
i. To carry out day to day management of the Club.
ii. To appoint sub committees for any specific purpose and decide the terms of reference.
iii. To fill any vacancy that may arise on the Committee prior to the next Annual General Meeting and shall have the power to co-opt additional members when necessary.
iv. To arrange functions for the benefit of the Club.
v. To take disciplinary action when necessary.
c. Before any Management Committee Member is elected the Club must consider if they would satisfy the HMRC “fit and proper persons test” to be involved in the general control, management and administration of the club.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-fit-and-proper-persons-test/guidance-on-the-fit-and-proper-persons-test
d. A member of the Management Committee shall be deemed to have vacated office if:
i. They become bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with their creditors generally.
ii. They resign their office.
iii. They are suspended from holding office or from taking part in any activity relating to the administration or management of the Club by a decision of the Kent LTA or the LTA.
e. The Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new
Policy codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the Club.
f. The Committee Meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the
Club and will be held as necessary during the year.
g. Every member of the Management Committee or agent of the Club shall be indemnified by the Club.
h. The Management Committee on behalf of the Club shall pay all costs, losses and expenses which any such member of the Management Committee or agent may incur or for which they may become liable by reason of any contract entered into or act or thing done by them in good faith, as such member of the Management Committee or agent in accordance with the instructions of the Management Committee or of a general meeting of the Club or otherwise in discharge of their duties.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM of the Club shall take place in the first quarter of the year to
transact the following business:
a) To receive the Chairman’s report of the activities of the Club during the previous year.
b) To receive the Honorary Treasurer’s Report of the Income and
Expenditure Account and the Balance Sheet.
c) To elect the Officers and other members of the Management
Committee.
d) To elect a Welfare officer who satisfies the regulations of the LTA.
e) To elect an independent and appropriate person to review the
accounts.
f) To decide on any resolution which may be submitted to the Honorary Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting.
g) To set the annual subscriptions and deal with other financial matters.
9. OTHER MEETINGS
a) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at any time by the Management Committee if they consider it to be necessary.
b) In addition, the Honorary Secretary shall call a meeting within 28 days of receiving a request in writing signed by at least 10 adult Members stating the purpose for which a meeting is required and the resolution(s) proposed.
10. PROCEDURES FOR MEETINGS
a) All members will be notified of the date, time, and venue of the meeting by electronic means at least 21 days before an AGM or EGM.
b) The quorum for general meetings shall be 10 members and for the
Management Committee meetings the quorum shall be 4.
c) The Honorary Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Club or, in their absence one of the other members of the Management
Committee.
d) Only those qualifying Members actually present at a general meeting shall be entitled to vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority on a show of hands.
e) In the event of an equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have the casting vote.
f) Resolutions may be settled by ballot at the discretion of the Chairman.
g) There shall be no right to vote by proxy and no person may represent more than one Member.
h) The Honorary Secretary, or in their absence a member of the
Management Committee, shall take minutes at Annual and
Extraordinary General Meetings.
11. FINANCE
a) The Finances of the Club shall be the responsibility of the
Management Committee, subject to specific instructions from a
general meeting.
b) All monies payable to the Club shall be deposited in a bank account in the name of the Club.
c) No sum shall be drawn from that bank account except by cheque or electronic means signed by two of the three authorised signatories.
d) Any monies not required for immediate use may be invested as the Management Committee in its discretion sees fit.
e) The Management Committee may borrow money on behalf of the
Club with the sanction of a general meeting.
f) The end of the Club’s financial year shall be 31St December.
g) The Club’s financial statements will be prepared in accordance with relevant accounting principles, incorporating LTA and other guidance as appropriate.
h) The Club’s published annual financial statements will be reviewed by a third party reviewer.
12. VISITORS
a) Any Member may introduce visitors to the Club, provided that they have not had their application for membership declined or have been previously expelled.
b) The Member shall accompany the visitor and shall be responsible for signing the visitors book in the Clubhouse and for collecting the visitors fee. Visitors’ fees should be paid directly to the Treasurer.
c) The Member shall ensure that their visitor is aware of, and complies with the Club Rules.
d) Any person eligible for membership and residing within a 5 mile
radius of the Club, shall not play as a visitor more than three times in any calendar year.
13. TOURNAMENTS AND MATCHES
a) The Management Committee has the right to reserve tennis courts for the playing of matches, tournaments and club play.
b) If a Member represents the Club playing at home or at other Clubs there is an expectation that respectful behaviour is adhered to at all times.
14. SECURITY
a) The Management Committee shall make provision for the security of the Club premises and property as it sees fit.
b) Members shall be informed in writing or by electronic means of any changes in the security procedures which must be observed.
c) The last Members to leave the courts and Club premises must ensure that the Clubhouse and gates are locked.
d) For security reasons codes are for Members only. Under no circumstances should they be given to non-members. The Management Committee would deem this a serious breach of the Rules and action would be taken.
15. PLAY
a) When sixteen or more Members wish to play, doubles shall be played and a short set only allowed. i.e. the first pair to six games. This is unless the match is for the Club Tournament.
b) Official Club playing times are as follows:
c) Full Members
i. Saturday and Sunday afternoons 2-6pm
ii. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings 6.30-9pm
iii. Team Practice Monday evenings (Team Priority) 6.30-9pm
iv. Junior Members Friday evenings 5-7pm
v. Mid-week Members Monday – Friday up to 6pm
d) Bank Holidays are to be regarded as official Club playing times and
open to all Members.
e) Junior Members may make use of unoccupied courts on official Club afternoons and evenings but must give way on request by Full Members.
16. DRESS CODE
a) Non marking tennis shoes only shall be worn on the courts.
b) Members are expected to wear appropriate ‘tennis clothing’ at all
times.
17. BALLS
The Club shall supply tennis balls at regular intervals throughout the playing season as the Management Committee sees fit.
18. FLOODLIGHTS
Floodlights must be turned off at 9.00pm on weekdays and 9.30pm at the weekend. This is a Town and Country Planning requirement.
19. GENERALLY
a) The foregoing rules shall not be altered in any way except at an Annual General Meeting called for that purpose.
b) A two thirds majority of those present and voting will be required before a rule can be altered.
c) The Management Committee shall deal with any matter that is not covered by these rules.
July 2021