Club Rules

Club Rules & Regulations:

1. Constitution

The Club is constituted by these Rules as a non-profit making unincorporated 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 is not itself either constituted as non-profit making nor as a charity.

2. Accountancy Year

Except for the purpose of subscription, the Club’s Financial Year shall run from 1st January to the 31st December and the accounts submitted to the Annual General Meeting. They shall be prepared accordingly.

3. Management

The Club shall be managed by a Management Committee consisting of:

(a) the Chairman
(b) the club Secretary
(c) the club Treasurer
(d) no more than 5 other Members

The club Secretary shall send to the Members each year a nomination form for the election of members of the Management Committee in the place of those retiring. Those persons proposed to be nominated as members of the Management Committee to fill any vacancies that have arisen must be nominated by any two full members on the form prescribed by the Management Committee and must be submitted to the club Secretary by such date as the Management Committee shall prescribe each year and must be signed by a committee member. No Member may nominate more than one candidate for any one vacancy.

Any person nominated as a member of the Management Committee must be a Full Adult Member.

Election of Officers Nomination Form

If there is only one candidate nominated to fill any particular vacancy, that candidate shall be declared elected unopposed for that particular vacancy at the next annual general meeting. If there is more than one candidate for any particular vacancy there shall be an election at the annual general meeting for that position. In the event of a tie, the candidate to be elected shall (unless the candidates otherwise agree) be determined by lot.

The Management Committee members (non-retiring) shall be proposed and seconded at the annual general meeting. Election to the Management Committee shall be for three years. One-third, or if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number nearest to one-third of the members of the Management Committee appointed, shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. The members so retiring being those who have been longest in office. As between those who have served for an equal length of time, the member to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree) be determined by lot.

In addition to the members elected or appointed in accordance with this Rule, the Management Committee may co-opt up to 3 further Members who shall serve until the next annual general meeting. Co-opted members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Management Committee.

The Management Committee may appoint any Full Adult Member to fill any casual vacancy on the Management Committee until the next annual general meeting when that person shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.

Retiring members of the Management Committee may be re-elected.

A member of the Management Committee shall be deemed to have vacated office if:

(a) he/she resigns his office by notice to the Club; or
(b) he/she shall without sufficient reason for more than three consecutive meetings of the Management Committee have been absent without permission of the Management Committee and the Management Committee resolves that his office be vacated; or
(c) he/she is requested to resign by not less than two-thirds of the other Management

4. Proceedings of the Management Committee

Management Committee meetings shall be held as often as the Management Committee thinks fit provided that there shall not be less than 4 meetings each year. The quorum for such meetings shall be 50 percent of committee members. The Chairman and the club Secretary shall have discretion to call emergency meetings of the Management Committee if they consider it to be in the interests of the Club. The club Secretary shall give all the members of the Management Committee not less than 21 days' notice of a meeting.

The Chairman shall be the chairman of the Management Committee. Unless he/she is unwilling to do so, the Chairman shall preside at every meeting of the Management Committee at which he/she is present. But if there is no person holding that office, or if the Chairman is unwilling to preside or is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the members of the Management Committee present may appoint one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman (or the acting chairman of that meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.

The Management Committee may from time to time appoint from among its number such sub- committees as it considers necessary and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Management Committee as the Management Committee may determine. All sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Management Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Management Committee.

The Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club and shall have the sole right of appointing and determining the terms and conditions of service of employees of the Club. The Management Committee shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Club on behalf of all the Members.

The members of the Management Committee shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Club.

Any member of the Management Committee may participate in a meeting of the Management Committee by way of video conferencing or conference telephone or similar equipment which allows every person participating to hear and speak to one another throughout such meeting. A person so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall accordingly be counted in the quorum and be entitled to vote. Such a meeting shall be deemed to take place where the largest group of those participating is assembled or, if there is no such group, where the chairman of the meeting is.

5. Trustees

The Trustees of the Club shall be appointed from time to time as necessary by the Club in general meeting from among the Members who are willing to be so appointed. A Trustee shall hold office during his life, or until he shall resign by notice in writing given to the Management Committee or until a resolution removing him from office shall be passed at a general meeting by a majority comprising [two-thirds] of the Members present and voting.

All property of the Club including land and investments, shall be held by the Trustees for the time being, in their own names so far as necessary and practicable, and for the use and benefit of the Club. On the death, resignation or removal from office of a Trustee the Management Committee shall take steps to procure the appointment by the Club in general meeting of a new Trustee in his place; and shall as soon as possible thereafter take lawful and practicable steps to procure the vesting of all Club property into names of the Trustees as constituted after the said appointment. The Trustees shall in all respects act, in regard to any property of the Club held by them, in accordance with the directions of the Management Committee; and shall have power to sell, lease, mortgage or pledge any Club property for the purpose of raising or borrowing money for the benefit of the Club in compliance with the Management Committee's directions. But no purchaser, lessee or mortgagee shall be concerned to enquire whether any such direction has been given.

The number of Trustees shall not be more than four or less than two.

6. Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting of the Club shall be held at such time as the Management Committee shall decide each 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 and consider the accounts of the Club for the previous year, the club Treasurer's report as to the financial position of the Club;
(c) to elect the Officers and other members of the Management Committee;
(d) to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted
(e) to deal with any other matters which the Management Committee desires to bring before the membership.

Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the annual general meeting shall be given in writing to the club Secretary not less than 14 days before the meeting.

No period greater than fifteen months shall elapse between one annual general meeting and the next.

7. Extraordinary General Meetings

An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time by the Management Committee and shall be called within 28 days of receipt by the club Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 3 committee members, or 25% of the voting members, stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed.

8. Procedures at the Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings

The club Secretary shall send to each Member written notice of the date of the general meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 21 days before the meeting.

The quorum for the annual and extraordinary general meetings shall be 8 Members not including management committee, or one-tenth of the membership of the Club (whichever is the greater number).

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Club but if he is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or has signified his inability to be present at the meeting, the Members present [and entitled to vote] may choose one of the other members of the Management Committee present to preside and if no other member of the Management Committee is present or willing to preside the Members present [and entitled to vote] may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

Each Full Adult Member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those Members present and voting. In the event of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

The club Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Management Committee, shall take minutes at annual and extraordinary general meetings.

There shall be no right for a Member to vote by proxy. No person may represent more than one Member.

9. Memberships

The types of memberships are:

Junior – 18 years and under (also students in full time education until 22 years old)
Senior – 19 years and over
Family – Immediate family

The subscription year runs from 1st April to 31st March.

Subscriptions are set at the rates posted on the website and are payable by 30th April. We appreciate prompt payment to make the administration as easy as possible.

Any member not paying by 1st May will not be entitled to benefits of membership until he/she has paid. If he/she has not paid by 31st May, he/she shall cease to be a member.

Subscription enables members to:

Play without further court fees at any time, except tournaments, coaching or use of floodlights.
Participate in all club activities.
Represent the club at matches.

Subscription rates shall be reviewed annually and charges proposed for the ensuing year shall be approved by the Annual General Meeting.

10. Guests

Any member may bring guests to play at the club. The cost is £3 per hour per guest. All guests must pay their fees into the money box located inside the light box just inside courts 1 & 2.

The maximum amount of times a guest may play at the club is 4 times per year.

Junior members may bring their parents but non-member playing parents are considered guests.

11. Loss, damage or injury

Members or Guests leaving unattended vehicles, rackets, clothing or other property at the Club do so at their own risk. The Club shall not be liable for any loss, damage or injury.

Items left in the clubhouse will be placed in the Lost Property Box. The contents will be given to charity if they are not claimed within 6 months.

12. Complaints procedure

In the event of a member or guest behaving in a manner not consistent with Stebbing Tennis Club etiquette, the member should raise the matter with the offending player. If the offending player persists in their behaviour, the member should seek the advice and involvement of a coach or committee member. In cases of consistent breaches of club etiquette, the member should contact the committee by email or by letter with details of the offending player and details of the breach(es) of etiquette.

13. Suspension or expulsion

The Committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend the membership of any Member, or to exclude any Member or Guest whom it considers guilty of a breach of these Club Rules, Club Information and Etiquette; misconduct; offensive behaviour to any other Member or Guest, whether on the club’s premises or elsewhere.

14. Rules & Regulations

A copy of these Club Rules & Regulations and the Club Information & Etiquette documents shall be prominently displayed at all times on the Club Notice Board and on the Club website and all members shall be deemed conversant therewith. The Club Rules & Regulations 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.

Club Information & Etiquette can be altered as required by the management committee without resolution at an annual or extraordinary general meeting, but shall be raised for discussion and voting at the next such meeting.

15. Coaching

Fee paying sessions with a professionally qualified tennis coach are only permitted with one of the club’s authorised coaches.

Appropriate insurance is the responsibility of the coach, and is to be in place and valid before coaching can commence.

STC authorised coaches shall be clearly identified on the STC website and also on the clubhouse noticeboard.

Coaches are to pay a fee to STC for facilities useage, the structure of which is to be reviewed at the start of each financial year.

Revenue from coaching is to be clearly identified in the STC yearly financial report.