LONG CRENDON LAWN TENNIS CLUB CONSTITUTION

 

As at the 1st July 1981 (amended 28th October 1981, 13th February 1992, 9th November 1995, 19th February 2003 and 11th November 2004, 9th November 2006, 8th November 2007 and 22nd February 2023)

 

1. NAME & OBJECT

The club, founded in or about 1960 and reconstituted on 15th July 1981, shall be named the LONG CRENDON LAWN TENNIS CLUB and the object of the club is to provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community in the sport of tennis.

2. CONSTITUTION

The Income and Property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club’s objects as set forth in this constitution.

3. AFFILIATION

The club shall seek affiliation to The Lawn Tennis Association through the appropriate county lawn tennis association and shall adopt and conform to the Rules of these organizations in so far as they can apply.

4. CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES

There shall be the following classes of Membership and Subscription:

 

1 Adult member

2 Adult members ( living at the same address )

1 Adult member + 2 children ( living at the same address )

Full-time Student*

Juniors (12 – 17yrs)

Juniors (7 – 11yrs) – 7yrs from 1st April

Family  (2 adults + children 7yrs to under 18yrs) – children 7yrs from the 1st April

 The committee is empowered to adjust fees and charges annually.

*Class of Membership refers in this case to Subscription rate only.

 

NOTES:

 

( a )Every playing member has included in their subscriptions the LTA charges for court Payments.

(b) In the event of the Club being liable for Value Added (or any other) Tax on members’  Subscriptions, the figures shown above shall be exclusive thereof.

 ( c ) The subscription runs from 1st April to 31st March.

 ( d )The subscription is due on 1st April; if unpaid by 30th April membership will cease until  Payment is paid.

  ( e ) New Members: their subscriptions run from the month of joining.

  (f ) A new candidate may be allowed to use the Club pending the Committees consideration   of his/her application. Likewise, they may make a refund of the subscription actually paid to a member who becomes unable to use the Club for a substantial part of the year on account of injury, illness or departure from the district. .

( g ) Any membership taken out is non-transferrable to other persons for whatever reason.

( h ) Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of Tennis as a particular sport.

( i )The Club may refuse membership or expel from membership only for good and sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against such a decision may be made to the Club’s members and decided by a majority vote.

 

5. ACCOUNTANCY YEAR

Except for the purposes of subscriptions (see Rule 4, note (c) the Club’s Financial Year shall run from 1st October to 30th September and the accounts submitted to the Annual General Meeting shall be prepared accordingly.

6. ELECTION OF MEMBERS

Honorary Membership (other than temporary in accordance with Rule 10), including Honorary Life Membership, shall be strictly limited and at the discretion of the Committee by way of reward for special services to the Club.

Every new application is given consideration but the Committee shall have the power to limit numbers of members in their respective classes if they consider this necessary.

7. RESIGNATION AND TRANSFER BETWEEN CLASSES

A member wishing to transfer to a class at a different rate of subscription such as adding partners on or children during the year shall notify the Honorary Secretary. No refunds will be given except as under Notes (f).

8. SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION

The Committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend the membership of any member or visitor whom it considers guilty of a breach of these rules or of misconduct or offensive behaviour to any other member, visitor or employee, whether on the Club’s premises or elsewhere.

9. INJURY, LOSS OF PROPERTY. ETC.

Members or visitors leaving unattended vehicles, racquets, 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.

10. VISITORS AND TEMPORARY MEMBERS

Visitors may be introduced by a member. The member has the responsibility and must pay the visitors fee required before play commences. A visitor can only play three times in any one year, except with special permission from the committee.

Every member of a visiting match team shall be an Honorary Member for the day and every competitor in a tournament at the Club (and in the case of a competitor under age 18, his parent or guardian) shall be an Honorary Member for the period of the tournament.

Temporary Members, not permanently resident nor working within 15 miles of the club, may be admitted at the discretion of the Hon. Secretary/Membership Secretary a for a period not exceeding one calendar month at the fees shown in the Regulations.

The courts are available to members of the general public under the terms and conditions of the use of the land. Such persons, NOT accompanied by members, and at the times set out in the regulations, may use the courts at the fee set out therein.

11. MANAGEMENT

The Management of the Club shall be in the entire control of a Committee minimum of five members and a maximum of 11 members. A maximum of 5 shall be ex-officio members.. In addition to the Officers who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee and shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Men’s and Ladies’ Captains and/or Match Secretaries, Club Coach (but if more than one of these offices is held by a single person, no extra Committee vacancy shall be thereby created). All shall be elected for the year at the Annual General Meeting except that the elected Committee shall have power to fill any casual vacancy.

The Committee shall elect members in accordance with Rule 6 and shall from time to time make and revise the Club’s Regulations and shall have power to decide any matter un-provided for by these rules and the current Regulations. They shall meet at least four times in every year and additionally as circumstances may require. The quorum at a Committee shall be five and in the event of equality of voting the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

The Committee may delegate any part of its duties to one or more sub-committees which may be composed of any members of the Club.

The Committee is em-powered to enter into a loan on behalf of the Club if so decided by an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary  Meeting. 

12. GENERAL MEETING

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year between 15th October and 30th November inclusive.

The Committee shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting at their discretion or within one month of receipt by the Hon. Secretary of a requisition signed by ten adult fully paid up members, stating the business to be transacted. The cost of holding such a meeting will be deposited by the signatories; such deposit will be returned or withheld by vote at the meeting, so called.

Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the Annual General Meeting must send a copy thereof to the Hon. Secretary before the AGM at least 21days so that provision may be made on the Agenda.

The Hon. Secretary shall send to every member (other than temporary members) at least seven day’s notice of any General Meeting, together with a copy of the Agenda.

The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be the confirmation of the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meetings, the consideration of the Committee’s Report and the Honorary Treasurer’s Accounts for the year, the election of Officers and Committee for the ensuing year, the appointment of an Honorary Auditor, and any items of which notice has been given and details included in the Agenda, also a Chairman’s report will be sent out at the same time.

The business of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be in accordance with the requisition under which it was summoned and the Agenda issued. At any General Meeting further business may be accepted at the discretion of the Chairman provided that it does not call for an alteration of the rules, the winding up of the Club. The transfer of any Club assets, the borrowing of money, or any expenditure not within the immediate financial resources of the Club.

Every member (other than temporary members) shall be entitled to be present and to speak at any General Meeting and, if aged 18 years or over, to vote thereat. In the event of an equality of votes the Committee members present  shall have a second or casting vote, failing which the chairman will have the a second and casting vote.

At any General Meeting the quorum shall be 15 members entitled to vote.

13. RULES AND REGULATIONS

A copy of the Constitution, and of the Regulations made by the Committee under this Constitution  shall be prominently displayed at all times on the Club Notice Board Club Website and Clubspark and all members shall be deemed conversant therewith. The Constitution shall not be altered except at a General Meeting after due notice, and then only provided that two-thirds of those present are in favour. The Regulations shall be made and periodically revised by the Committee.

14. DISSOLUTION 

In the event of the dissolution of the Club, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the club, but shall be given or transferred to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:

1. A registered charitable organization(s). associated with the sport of tennis and/or the local Long Crendon community.

2. Another Club which is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club.