MAYFIELD LAWN TENNIS CLUB

RULES

 

1. Name of Club

The Club shall be called the Mayfield Lawn Tennis Club.

 

2. Trustees

The property of the Club including the freehold property shall be vested in Trustees who shall be elected by the members and when so elected shall hold office until death or resignation.  Any vacancy in the office of a Trustee shall be filled by the person nominated by the surviving Trustees.  The Trustees shall be ex-officio members of the General Committee.  The number of Trustees shall be not more than six or less than three.  They shall be indemnified against any personal liability and expenses out of the Club property.

 

3. The General Committee and its Powers

[a] The management of the Club [except as otherwise provided by these rules] shall be deputed to a General Committee consisting of ten members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, the Trustees who shall be ex-officio members and the Welfare Officer.

[b] All must be members of the Club.  Five shall form a quorum, and in case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The General Committee shall appoint a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer [who shall be ex-officio members of all Committees] and also such sub-committees as they shall consider necessary.  The General Committee shall have power to make such regulations consistent with the General Rules as they shall think necessary for the welfare of the Club.  The General Committee is empowered to borrow money for the purposes of the Club in such amounts and upon such terms as to interest, security and otherwise as the Committee may from time to time determine.

[c] At the Annual General Meeting, three members of the Committee [not being Trustees] shall retire and shall be eligible for re-election.  The members of the Committee shall retire in order of seniority of service on the Committee since last elected and, in the case of equal seniority, the order of retirement shall be determined by lot.  To fill the vacancies nominations shall be invited of the membership and a notice to this effect shall be emailed to the membership and posted in the Club Premises fourteen days prior to such Meeting.  A candidate must be nominated by not less than two adult members of the Club and notice in writing to the Secretary must be submitted no less than seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.  Every adult member of the Club shall be entitled, but not obliged, to vote in person for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled and no more.  Elections shall be by secret ballot.  The candidates up to the number of vacancies who shall receive most votes shall be duly declared elected and, in the case of two or more candidates receiving an equal number of votes, the Chairman of the meeting shall determine the matter by lot.

[d] The Committee shall have power to appoint a member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.  Any member so appointed shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for election as a member of the Committee at such meeting. 

[e] The General Committee shall have power by resolution to appoint the Treasurer and as appropriate other members of the General Committee to transfer money on line or sign cheques on the Club’s bank account in accordance with the bank mandate in the name of them all.  Minutes shall be taken of all proceedings of the General Committee and shall be open to inspection by any member of the Club applying to the Secretary therefore.

 

4. Election of Candidates

[a] All persons over eighteen years of age shall be eligible for full membership, subject to the process specified in 4[b]. Children below the age of eighteen years may be elected as junior members without a right to hold office or exercise the power of voting.

[b] Candidates for election to membership of the Club shall be balloted for by the General Committee, and one rejection in five shall exclude.  A candidate shall not be proposed again for election within a period of twelve months.

 

5. Notice to New Members

The Membership Secretary shall immediately give notice to the candidate that he or she has been elected a member of the Club provided that he or she will abide by its rules and regulations as posted in the Pavilion.  Subscriptions are to be paid to the Club within one month of the date of notice, failing which the election may be declared by the General Committee null and void.

 

6. Subscriptions

The entrance fees and subscriptions of members shall be fixed from time to time by the General Committee.

 

7. Temporary Members

[a] Visitors resident beyond twenty-five miles of the Club may join as Temporary Members at the rate of subscription as fixed from time to time by the General Committee, unless covered by a House Subscription.

[b] Visitors resident within twenty-five miles of the Club may be invited to play at the Club with a member on three days in each calendar year, the first without payment.  Thereafter, they cannot be Temporary Members and must become full members if they wish to visit the Club again.  The host member is responsible for entering the Temporary Member’s name in the visitors’ book in the pavilion before playing, and also collecting the Temporary Member’s fee and sending it to the Membership Secretary.

 

8. Eligibility to Vote and Effect of Non-Payment of Subscription

The annual subscription shall run from the first day of the month of joining and any member whose subscription is not paid by one month after due date shall not be allowed to vote, or avail himself or herself of the advantage of the Club, until his or her subscription is paid.  If a subscription has not been paid within two months of a reminder being sent, the defaulter shall cease to be a member of the Club unless a satisfactory explanation is given. 

  

9. Resignation

Any member intending to resign his or her membership of the Club shall give notice in writing to the Secretary one month before his or her subscription is due, or otherwise he or she shall be liable to pay his or her subscription for the next membership year.  Any person on ceasing to be a member of the Club shall forfeit all right to a claim upon the Club, its property and funds.

 

10. Expulsion

To expel a member from the Club it shall be necessary that notice be sent to the Secretary signed by five members acquainting the Secretary with the circumstances which give rise to such notice.  The Secretary shall then communicate with such member [so that he or she may have the option of explaining or withdrawing from the Club], and shall call a meeting of the General Committee who are empowered to decide the question.  A two-thirds majority of the General Committee in favour of expulsion is needed for an expulsion to take effect.

 

11. General Meetings

[a] The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in April [of which fourteen days’ notice shall be given] to receive from the General Committee a statement of accounts and report of activities of the Club for the past year, to appoint  the members of the General Committee [see Rule 3] and for any other business.  Any members desirous of moving any resolution at the Annual General Meeting shall give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of such Meeting.

[b] The General Committee shall at the written request of seven members, or may on their own accord, call a Special General Meeting of the Club for the consideration of any matter.  Notice of such Meeting and of the subject to be brought before it shall be sent to each member at least fourteen days prior to the meeting.  Nine shall form a quorum at any General Meeting.

 

12. Alteration of Rules or New Rules

No rules shall be rescinded or altered, and no new rule shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting, unless previous notice thereof, signed by seven members, shall be given to the Secretary in writing, emailed to the membership and posted in the Club Pavilion at least fourteen days before a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, and unless two-thirds of the members present at the above meeting vote in favour thereof.

 

13. Dissolution of the Club

Subject to the overriding consent of the Trustees, if a resolution in General Committee for the dissolution of the Club shall be passed by a majority of the members present and such resolution shall, at a Special General Meeting held not less than one month thereafter at which not less than one-half of the members shall vote either in person or by postal vote, be confirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of two-thirds of the members voting thereon, the Trustees shall thereupon or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution proceed to realise the property of the Club, and after the discharge of all liabilities shall divide the same equally among all the full members, and upon completion of such division the Club shall be dissolved.

 

 

 

14. Complaints

All complaints shall be made in writing to the Secretary, who, if she/he be unable to deal with them her/himself, shall submit them to the General Committee whose decision shall be final.  In no instance shall a complaint or issue of contention be made directly by a member to a servant of the Club.

 

15. Club Days

Club days shall be held as fixed by the General Committee.

 

16. Lawn Tennis Shoes

No member or visitor shall be allowed to play tennis at any time unless wearing tennis shoes, but the Committee has power temporarily to waive this rule.

 

17. Dogs

Dogs shall not be allowed on the Club grounds except on a lead.

 

18. Rules of Tennis

Members of the Club, coaches and other persons using the facilities of the Club shall agree to abide by the Rules of the Club, and also the Rules and Disciplinary Code of the Lawn Tennis Association.

 

REGULATIONS

 

1. Juniors - Club Days and Tournaments

[a] Juniors, 16 years and over may play on adult Club days.  However, juniors reaching 16 years and new members joining after their 16th birthday and wanting to play on Saturday afternoon or Wednesday evening adult Club days need to attend an informal knock-up first or get approval from the Head Coach. 

[b] Juniors under 16 years may also play on adult Club days on the invitation of the Team Captains, after an informal knock-up or on approval from the Head Coach.

[c] Juniors, 16 years and over, may play in all adult tournaments.

[d] Juniors under 16 may play in adult tournaments on the invitation of the Tournament Organisers.

 

2. Tournaments

Non-members must play with full members of the Club [temporary members do not count as full members] in all adult tournaments, except the Noah’s Ark Tournament when non-members may play together.

 

3. Standard of Adults on Club Days

 [a] The Club Days are intended for players of a somewhat similar standard so that games are reasonably well balanced. There is some variation in the target standard set for each session:

 -  Wednesday a.m. is for all standards

 - Wednesday p.m. is for intermediate /advanced standards

 - Saturday p.m. is for players of a reasonable standard

The Committee may advise a player as to which Club day session is the best fit for their standard of play.

[b] Before joining the Wednesday evening or Saturday afternoon Club day sessions, members should seek input from a Committee member or Head Coach as to the standard of play expected.

[c} To help new members determine their standard in relation to the various Club Days and also to meet other new members, the Head Coach offers a free 30 minutes coaching session to all new members. Please contact Hamish Porter on hamish.porter@hotmail.com to inform him if you wish to join one of these introductory sessions.

 

4. Court Booking System via ClubSpark

• Maximum time bookable – 1 hour 30 minutes
• Only bookable up to 1 week in advance
• Booking not compulsory, but advisable at peak times         
• Bookers failing to turn up within 15 minutes forfeit all their booking time

 

5. Priority

[a] Members within one House membership should only use one court if all other courts are being used and others are waiting.

[b] Adult members have no rights on Junior Club days (Fridays 3.30 p.m. - 7 p.m.).

[c] Junior members under 16 have no rights on Senior Club days (Wednesday mornings from 9.30 a.m., Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. and Saturday afternoons from 2 p.m.

 

6. Clothing

Tennis clothing should be worn at all times.

 

7. Coaching

[a] Any coach needs to be authorised by the General Committee before being allowed to coach at the Club for financial gain.

[b] Group coaching on more than one court has to be authorised by the General or Junior Committee.

[c] With members having priority, non-members can take part in the group advertised coaching sessions [at extra charge], except during Junior Club evenings.  The privately arranged individual or group coaching on one court is for members only.

[d] Coaches available:

• Dan Cole – Accredited+ L.T.A. Level 4 Coach - 07881 920159

 

8. Floodlights

• Tokens on sale from  (1) The Shopping Basket, Station Road, Mayfield

                                           01435 873231

                                      (2) Mildred Rowell, Stocksfield (opposite the Club)

                                           01435 872479

                                      (3) Geoffrey & Garnet Shackel - 01435 873113

• Free floodlights during Club day times

 

9. Bikes and Scooters are not allowed to be ridden within the Club premises.

 

10. Ball machines are not to be used before 8am weekdays/9am weekends, and also not after 8pm evenings.

 

11. Car Parking

[a] Members may park in the Catholic Church car park except between Saturday 5.30 p.m. and Sunday 12 noon, and when other church services are taking place.

[b] East Sussex County Council has asked that members do not park on the grass verge outside the Club.

 

12. The Club is a members’ Club and is private property only open to members and their guests.

 

13. It is the members’ responsibility to decide whether to play tennis in adverse weather conditions.