Newton & Noss Tennis Club

The Newton and Noss Tennis Club Rules

As approved at the 2017 Annual General Meeting of The Club

1. Club Name

The Club, established in 2007, is “The Newton and Noss Tennis Club” of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo in Devon . The Club is constituted by these Rules as a non-profit making Unincorporated Private Members’ Club

2. The Aims of the Club

To provide tennis, social and other activities, and generally to encourage and facilitate the playing of tennis on an amateur basis as a non-profit making club. To do all such things as the Committee thinks fit to further the interests of the club, to advance and safeguard the interest of tennis, to promote increases in participation at all levels of tennis or as otherwise incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of these aims.

3. Funds

3.1. The funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members, and all surplus income or profits are reinvested in the Club.

3.2. Nothing in Clause 3.1 shall prevent the Club from entering an agreement with a member for the supply to the Club of goods or services, provided that such arrangements are approved by the Management Committee (without the member being present) and are agreed with the member on an arms length basis.

3.3 A record of all income and expenditure of the club must in all circumstances be included in the Accounts of the Club.

4. Membership

4.1. Classes of membership are:

• Adult

• Junior - under 19

• Intermediate - 19 to 25.

The standard fees applicable to each class of membership shall be prescribed by the committee from time to time and shall apply from 1st April until 31 March the following year. Should any member not have paid his or her subscription within two months after the 1st April, the Committee shall have the power to suspend that member until the subscription is paid or expel and discharge such member.

Membership is open to any person who makes an application to the Membership Secretary by way of a standard form approved by the Committee from time to time. Any person applying shall be granted membership upon payment of the appropriate fee prescribed by the Committee. This excludes persons who have previously been excluded from membership under clause 4.2.

An entrance fee may,  at the discretion of the Committee, be charged to new members.

Each Member agrees as a Condition of Membership (a) to be bound by and subject to the Constitution and Membership Rules (as in force from time to time) (b) to be bound by and subject to the LTA Rules and the LTA Disciplinary Code.

4.2. Suspension or Expulsion.

The Committee shall have the 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. Under these circumstances, unexpired membership fees will not be refunded.

The Committee, at its sole discretion, may allow a person whose membership has been suspended or terminated to re-join the Club.

4.3. Visitors

Non-members may use the club facilities on payment of a usage fee. Such fees shall be prescribed by the Committee from time to time. These fees may include special arrangements with owners of holiday homes to allow their tenants free access as visitors.

Usage of the facilities does not grant any of the privileges of membership; however visitors by using the club facilities agree to be bound by the rules of the Club and those of the LTA.

All booking fees will be ring fenced and used solely towards maintenance of the courts.

4.4. Reservation of Courts

The Committee may allocate specific times where the use of the courts is reserved for specific purposes by members only, such as club nights and match fixtures.

5. Management Committee (The Committee)

The Committee of the Club shall consist of:

o A Chairperson

o A Membership Secretary

o A Treasurer

o A Welfare Officer

o Not more than 7 general members.

Members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting following appropriate nominations from members and an election where necessary.

Members shall remain in office, subject to any earlier resignation or other termination, until the next Annual General Meeting. 

In the event that an AGM fails to elect the minimum number of committee members necessary to manage the club affairs, namely: a Chairperson, a Membership Secretary and a Treasurer, all members should be notified of this fact by email and asked to either propose suitable candidates to fill the posts, or vote to dissolve the club as outlined in paragraph 5.3

The Committee shall be responsible for the day to day running of the Club including its finances, but shall not be personally liable for any acts or omissions of the Club which itself shall only be liable to the extent of the value of its assets. In the event of a vacancy on the Committee, the Committee shall have the power to appoint any playing member of the Club to fill such vacancy, but the proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated in consequence of there being less than the prescribed number thereof.

The Committee shall have the power to appoint an auditor to audit the accounts. Such an auditor shall be a volunteer, whom the Committee considers will be able to impartially audit the accounts produced by the Treasurer. Any appointment of an auditor should be ratified by a vote at the Annual General Meeting.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt, but such co-opted member shall not have the power to vote.

In order to assist the Committee in the smooth running of the Club’s affairs, the Club or Committee shall have the power to elect or appoint Sub-Committees as they think fit, but the Committee shall have the power to override any resolution of any such Sub-Committee.

The Committee shall meet at regular intervals to conduct Club business and a quorum shall be three, including at least one Officer of the Club. The Committee shall appoint team captains for all teams competing in competitions in which the Club is entered, and the Team captains shall be responsible for ensuring that the reputation of the club for fair play and sportsmanship shall be maintained at all times.

5.1. Extraordinary General meetings The Committee shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting at their discretion, or within one month of receipt by the Chairperson of a requisition signed by fifteen members of the Club stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.

No business may be brought forward at a General Meeting other than that of which notice has been given. Every Member shall be given at least fourteen days notice of any General Meeting, together with a copy of the Agenda.

At any General Meeting the quorum will be those Members present who are entitled to vote. In the event of an equal vote the Chairman has a second and casting vote.

At all General Meetings of the Club every member shall be entitled to attend, but Junior members shall not be entitled to vote.

5.2. Annual General Meetings.

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in February or March. The business of the AGM will consist of:

a. Confirmation of the previous year’s AGM minutes and of any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

b. Consideration of Committee reports.

c. The Accounts of the club will be presented at the AGM by the Treasurer

d. Election of Officers and Committee members.

e. Discussion of any other item of which notice has been given and details included on the agenda.

Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the AGM must send a copy thereof to the Chairperson not less than 14 days beforehand to allow its inclusion on the agenda.

5.3 Dissolution of the Club

In the event of not less than two thirds of the members voting to dissolve the Club, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution, proceed to realise the property of the club, and after discharging all debts and liabilities the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed among the members, but shall be applied, at the sole discretion of the Committee, for approved sporting or charitable purpose, including further improvements to the sporting facilities of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo.

5.4 Alteration of the Rules

The foregoing Rules shall not be altered except at a General Meeting, of which not less than 14 days’ notice shall be given, setting out details of any proposed changes. No such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it has been carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast, calculated to the next lowest whole number.

5.5 Notices and Member's Email Addresses.

 Any notice required to be given or sent to a member under these rules is deemed to have been duly given or sent on the next working day after it is emailed to the email address of the member appearing in the club records. Every member must immediately give to the Membership Secretary written notice of any change in their email address.

Any member requiring service of notices by ordinary post shall only be entitled to postal service if notice in writing is first given to the Secretary, and a posted notice shall be deemed to be received on the second day after posting. The Committee may, at its sole discretion, raise a supplementary membership fee for members who require delivery of notices and other information by means other than email.