CLUB RULES  as at 25th February 2017

Note : Any prospective change of rule/s must be agreed at an Annual General Meeting and must be duly proposed and seconded by members at least 30 days prior to the Meeting.

1. Name and Objectives

 

The Club, founded in 1979, shall be named “The Sissinghurst Lawn Tennis Club” and shall have for its objectives the provision of Lawn Tennis, Social and other facilities for its Members.

 

2. Constitution

 

The Club is constituted by these Rules as a Non-profit making Members’ Club. In no circumstances during the continuance of the Club, nor after its dissolution, shall any assets or surplus funds be distributed to any Member or other person nor to any organisation which did not itself either constitute as Non-profit making or a charity.

 

3. Affiliation

 

The Club shall be affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association through the appropriate County Lawn Tennis Association and shall adopt and conform to the Rules of these Organisations in so far as they can apply.

 

4. Classes of Member and Subscription Rates

 

There shall be the following classes of Member :-

 

(a) Family Membership (including children under 21 as at the 1st January.)

Having attained the age of 21, each child automatically qualifies for Adult Membership in own right, unless eligible for Student Membership beyond this age, as per (c) below.

 

(b) Adult Membership           

 

(c) Student Membership (18 to 25 years and still in full-time education. This would generally refer to students continuing their education beyond secondary level – e.g. University degree or full time College courses.  Mature students, ie those aged 25 years or over, on full-time educational courses are also considered under this category. New and existing Members undergoing part-time education such as evening  classes, do not qualify .)

 

(d) Junior Membership (under 21 as at 1st January.)

 

Subscription Rates

 

Subscription rates and joining fees will be recommended annually by the Committee after the Financial Year-end and ratified at the Annual General Meeting.

 

 

Notes to the Subscriptions

 

 (a)  The subscription year runs from 1st March to end February.

 

(b)  A Member whose subscription is not paid by the due date will not be entitled to

      the privileges of membership until he or she has paid, and if  not paid by 31st  

      March, or a concessionary cut-off date given at the time, he will cease to be a Member     

 (and any re-election will then be subject to the normal procedure and payment of a further  applicable fee).

(d)  The subscription fee for a new Member shall be paid with the

       membership application and the following will apply :-

 

(i)   The subscription will be repaid if election to membership does not take place,

 

(ii)  At the discretion of the Honorary Secretary and one other Committee

      Member, the candidate may be allowed to use the Club pending the 

      Committee’s consideration of his/her application.

 

(e)  For a new Member joining after the end of September, the Committee 

      may at their discretion accept a proportionately reduced subscription of  half for the part-year.

 

5. Accountancy Year

 

Except for the purposes of subscriptions (see Rule 4, Note b), the Club’s Financial Year shall run from 1st December to 30th November 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.

 

For other classes of Membership provided in Rule 4, prospective members can either submit a Membership Application form online through the Club website, or send a printed application form to the Membership Secretary. Every application shall be considered by the Committee whose decision shall be by a simple majority and shall be final. The Committee shall have power to limit the numbers of Members in the respective Classes if they consider this necessary.

 

7. Resignation and Transfer between Classes

 

A Member wishing to withdraw from membership or to transfer to a Class at a lower rate of subscription shall notify the Membership Secretary by indicating the change on the annual subscription invoice and returning the invoice with the appropriate fee.

 

8. Suspension or Expulsion

 

The Committee shall have power to terminate or suspend the membership of any Member or to exclude 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, 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 for this or any other cause.

 

10. Visitors and Temporary Members

 

Visitors may be introduced by the Honorary Secretary or other Member. Before a Visitor plays, the Member introducing him/her must make an appropriate entry in the Visitors’ Book and will be charged with the applicable fee at the time of subscription renewals.

 

A Non-playing Member may play, at the same fee as a Visitor, but neither a Visitor nor a Non-playing Member may play more than three times in any year.

 

 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 may be admitted at the discretion of the Honorary Secretary and one other Committee Members for a period not exceeding one calendar month at the appropriate fee.

 

11. Management

 

The Management of the Club shall be in the entire control of a Committee of Members in addition to the Officers, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee and shall be a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Membership Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Men’s and Ladies’ Captains (and/or Match Secretaries), Social Secretary and Club Maintenance Officer.  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 not 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 Meeting shall be four 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 (except the election of Members) to one or more sub-committees which may be composed of any Members of the Club, but any sub-committee to control a bar supplying intoxicating liquor shall be appointed in accordance with the Licensing requirements.

 

12. General Meeting

 

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in February.

An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by The Committee at their discretion or within one month of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition signed by twenty Members or, if the total membership is less than 100, by one-fifth of the Members, stating the business proposed to be transacted.

Any Member wishing to propose a Resolution at the Annual General Meeting must send a copy thereof to the Honorary Secretary before 15th January so that provision may be made on the Agenda. The Honorary Secretary shall send to every Member (other than Temporary Members) at least seven days’ 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 of any subsequent Extra-ordinary 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.

The business of an Extra-ordinary  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 Rules, the winding up of the Club, the transfer of any of the Club’s assets, the borrowing of money, or an 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 Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

 

13. Rule and Regulations

 

A copy of these Rules and of the Regulations made by the Committee under Rule 11, shall be prominently displayed at all times on the Club notice board and all Members shall be deemed conversant therewith. The Rules shall not be altered except at a General Meeting after due notice, and then only provided that two-thirds of those present and voting are in favour. The Regulations shall be made and periodically revised by the Committee

 

14. Discipline

 

1. The Club and all members shall accept and shall be bound by the Rules and the Disciplinary Code (“the LTA Rules”) of the Lawn Tennis Association Ltd (“the LTA”) and the General Rules and Constitution (“the County Rules”) of the Kent County Lawn Tennis Association (“ the County ”)in force from time to time including amendments made hereafter, insofar as the same are relevant to the activities of the Club.

 

1. All unlicensed and unregistered coaches shall and all visitors to the Club for the purpose of playing tennis will so far as reasonably practicable be required to accept and be bound by the LTA Rules and the County Rules.

 

1. All members shall accept, and all persons mentioned in (2) above shall so far as reasonably practicable be required to accept, that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 shall apply to the agreement between themselves and the Club , and that the LTA and the County may enforce any breach thereof, but only insofar as it relates to a breach of the LTA Rules or the County Rules.

 

15. Dissolution

 

The Club shall be dissolved on the passing of a Resolution to that effect at a General Meeting after due notice, by at least two-thirds of those present and voting. Such a meeting shall appoint a Committee to wind up the affairs of the Club and shall give general directions as to the disposal of any assets within the scope of Rule 2.