WADHURST AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY TENNIS AND SOCIAL CLUB RULES
(as amended by resolution at General Meeting, 13 March 2023)

1 NAME AND OBJECTS - The Club shall be named Wadhurst and District Community Tennis and Social Club (to be generally known as the Wadhurst Tennis Club) and shall have for its objects 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 but shall be given or transferred as determined by the Committee to an organisation which is itself either constituted as non- profit-making or a charity.

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 these organisations in so far as applicable.

4 CLASSES OF MEMBER - Types of membership within the Club consist of:

Single, Junior, Junior Sibling, Under 5s, Family, Student (i.e. those in full-time education), Over 80s and Social.

5 SUBSCRIPTIONS - The entrance fee (if any) for joining and all categories of subscriptions for members and junior members shall be fixed yearly at the Annual General Meeting. 

6 SUBSCRIPTIONS – FURTHER PROVISIONS

a) In the event of the Club being liable for Value Added Tax (or any other tax) on Members’ subscriptions, the subscriptions shall be inclusive thereof.

b) The subscription year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

c) A Member whose subscription is not paid by the due date(s) will not be entitled to the privileges of membership until the amount due is paid, and if the subscription or first instalment is not paid by 15th April, will cease to be a Member until full payment of the relevant subscription.

d) The subscription and entrance fee, if applicable, of a new Member shall be due with the membership application.

e) For a new Member joining the club the Committee may, at their discretion, accept a proportionately reduced subscription for the part-year.

7 ACCOUNTANCY YEAR - Except for the purposes of subscriptions [see Rule 6(b)], the Club’s financial year shall run from 1 January to 31 December and the accounts submitted to the Annual General Meeting shall be prepared accordingly.

8 ELECTION OF MEMBERS - Honorary Membership (other than temporary in accordance with Rule 12), 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. The Membership Secretary is obliged to accept anyone as a Member subject to the payment of the relevant subscription and provided the prospective or renewing Member has not been suspended or subjected to expulsion under Rule 10 below.

9 RESIGNATION - A Member wishing to withdraw from the membership shall notify the Membership Secretary.

Fob(s), if owned, must be returned by 1 July. Failure to return fob(s) by that date will result in fob deposit money being transferred to the club funds.

10 SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION

a) The Committee shall have power to terminate of 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 of Employee, whether on the Club’s premises or elsewhere.

b) RIGHT OF APPEAL - Any Member who is expelled or suspended shall have the right of appeal in person, before the Committee to discuss their case.

11 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.

12 VISITORS AND TEMPORARY MEMBERS - Visitors may be introduced by any Member. The Committee reserves the right to charge a fee, which the introducing Member is required to give to the Honorary Treasurer for deposit into the Club account. No Visitor may play more than three times in any year except with the special permission of 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 the age of 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 Committee at a fee or fees to be fixed by the Committee.

13 MANAGEMENT - The Management of the Club shall be in the entire control of a Committee of not less than 5 and not more than 12 members including the Officers, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee and shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Welfare Officer, Head Coach and Junior Co-ordinator(s). 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, from time to time, make and revise the Club’s Playing Regulations and shall have power to decide any matter unprovided for by these Rules and the current Regulations. They shall meet at least twice every year and additionally as circumstances may require. The quorum at a Committee Meeting 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.

14 GENERAL MEETING - An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year within 3 months of the financial year end. The Committee shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting 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 three weeks prior to this Meeting. The Honorary Secretary shall send or email to every Member (other than Temporary Members) at least ten days’ notice of any General Meeting 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 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, and any items of which notice has been given and details included in the Agenda. 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 Rules, the winding up of the Club, the transfer of any of the Club’s 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 and vote at any General Meeting and, in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. All Members over 18 years of age shall be entitled to vote. At any General Meeting, the quorum shall be 16 Members entitled to vote.

15 BORROWING POWERS - The Committee shall at a duly convened meeting have power to borrow money for Club purposes either at one time or from time to time up to an amount of £5,000 and shall record the resolution and terms of such borrowing(s) in the minutes of the meeting. Borrowings in excess of £5,000 shall require the authorisation of the Club by resolution in General Meeting. On the passing of such a resolution, the Committee shall thereupon be empowered to borrow such amount of money at such a rate of interest and in such form and manner and upon such security as shall be specified in such resolution. The trustees shall at the direction of the Committee make all such dispositions of the Club property or any part thereof and enter into such agreements in relation thereto as the Committee may deem proper for giving security for any borrowings and interest.

16 RULES AND REGULATIONS - A copy of these Rules and Playing Regulations made by the Committee under Rule 13 shall be prominently displayed at all times in some conspicuous place on the Club premises 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.

17 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.