Name and Objects

 

Name

The Club shall be named the 49 Social Club.

 

Objects

The objects of the Club shall be:-

 

To carry out the business of a bona-fide Members’ Club providing the means of social activity, mutual helpfulness, mental and moral improvement, recreation, and other advantages of a Club.

 

Use of the Club’s Name

 

The registered name of the Club shall be kept painted or affixed on the outside of the Club premises, in a conspicuous position in letters easily legible, and shall be mentioned in legible characters on all business letters, notices, advertisements and other official publications of the Club. Further, in all bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques, and orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Club, and on all bills, invoices, receipts and letters of credit of the Club.

 

Rules

 

Supply

The Secretary shall be supplied by the Committee with copies of the registered rules, and shall be bound to deliver a copy to all members on their election and to any other person, on demand, together with copies of registered partial amendments on such payment (not exceeding 10 pence), as the Committee may from time to time determine.

 

Amendment

No amendment of these rules is valid until voted upon by members at a general meeting.

 

Bye-Laws

 

The Committee shall have power to make such bye-laws as it may consider necessary for the good order and management of the Club, provided that no such bye-laws shall conflict with any of the rules. A copy of all such bye-laws shall be posted conspicuously on the Club notice-board.

 

Eligibility for Membership

 

All members of the Club must be at least 18 years of age.

 

Application for Membership

 

Financial Membership

Applications for financial membership shall be made to the Club Secretary.

 

Applicants must sign an application form. The application form must contain present name, address of each applicant signed by a proposer who must be a full member of the Club and a seconder who must be a Committee member or Trustee of the Club. This form shall be posted in the Club for at least two clear days prior to the proposed member’s name being considered by the Committee.

 

The Committee has the sole authority to admit applicants to membership or to reject them. The decision of the Committee shall be final.

 

The reasons for the decision shall not be conveyed to the applicant.

 

Immediately upon admission the new member shall: -

 

(a)     Be provided with a copy of the Club’s registered rules.

(b)     Pay the current joining fee and subscription;

(c)     Receive a 49 Social Club membership card.

 

Temporary Membership

Application for temporary membership shall be made to the Secretary. Where applicable, applicants must submit evidence of their membership to the 49 Social Club.

 

The names and addresses of applicants for temporary membership should be posted in the Club for at least two clear days before the membership becomes valid.

 

The Committee may authorise the admission of temporary members from a date being two clear days from the date of receipt of the relevant application.

 

Membership shall only become valid after the payment of a subscription in accordance with the next rule, the receipt for which shall constitute the temporary membership card.

 

Subscriptions and Joining Fees

 

Who pays

All members (including Senior Citizens) shall pay an initial joining fee together with a subscription as may from time to time be determined by the Committee, and ratified by the members at an Annual General Meeting.

 

Temporary members shall pay a joining fee and subscription as determined by the Committee.

 

Payments Due

The subscription for the current financial year becomes due as soon as an applicant is admitted to membership and subsequently on the first day of January being the beginning of the Club’s financial year.

 

Arrears

Any member who has not paid his subscription within 31 days after it has become due shall be considered to be “in arrears”

 

Any member “in arrears” shall be liable to pay a fine as set by the committee along with the annual subscription.

 

Lapsed Membership

Any member whose subscription is still not paid within four weeks of becoming in arrears shall cease to be a member

 

Senior Citizens

Upon completion of 2 full and consecutive years of membership shall be entitled to reduced membership so long as they have not been in contravention of any of the rules of the Club.

 

Committee Members

Members of the Club who have served as elected members of the Committee for 5 consecutive years shall be awarded honorary Life Membership in recognition of their service to the Club.

 

Register of Members

 

Register

The Club shall keep at its registered office a register in which the Secretary shall enter the following particulars: -

(a)     the names and addresses of all the members;

 

 

(b)     the names and addresses of the Officers and Committee with the offices held by them respectively and the dates on which they assumed office.

 

Address Change

Any member changing his address must notify the Secretary of such change within fourteen days thereafter.

 

Cessation of Membership

 

A member shall cease to be a member: -

(a)     By non-payment of subscriptions;

(b)     By expulsion;

(c)     By resignation; (Any member wishing to resign must send written notice to the Secretary and have his resignation formally accepted by the Committee).

(d)     Upon death:

 

Admission of Non-Members to the Club

 

Guests of Members

In addition to their family any member may introduce friends as guests provided that no member may introduce more than two guests at any one time and no individual (who is eligible for membership) may be introduced as a guest more than twice in one year.

 

Guests and the member introducing them shall sign their name in a book kept for that purpose.

 

Members shall be responsible for the good behaviour of guests introduced by them during the period of their stay in the Club and in the event that a guest is removed from the Club premises for misconduct or other cause, the member introducing such a guest may be subject to disciplinary procedures. The member must be present throughout the period their guests are in the Club.

 

Guest Approved by the Committee

Persons attending the following functions organised by the Committee or organised by a member and approved by the Committee may be admitted to the Club and pursuant to section 49 of the ‘Licensing Act 1964’ (or subsequent legislation) intoxicants sold to them, provided that such sales shall be limited by any conditions imposed on the Club's on license by the Magistrates’ Court: -

(a)     sporting teams and their officials and supporters engaged in sporting fixtures in which a representative team from the Club is participating; or

(b)     occasions of a member’s personal or family nature including parents, grandparents and descendants, not organised for profit and which are customarily celebrated, e.g. weddings, retirements, silver and golden wedding anniversaries, etc..

 

Exclusions

Notwithstanding the above entries under Admission of Non-Members to the Club, the following may not be admitted as guests:-

(a)     former members who have ceased to be members under any of the previously stated rules;

(b)     persons whose application for membership has been refused;

(c)     members who are suspended under any stated rule of this rule book;

(d)     members who have been ordered to withdraw and who have not subsequently met the Committee.

 

Hours of Opening and Closing Club Premises

 

The Club shall be opened and closed at such hours as may from time to time be fixed by the Committee and as posted in the Club.

 

Permitted Hours

 

The permitted hours for the supply of intoxicants shall be fixed by the Committee within (and in accordance with) section 62 of the ‘Licensing Act 1964’ and schedule 1 of the ‘Licensing Act 1988’ (or subsequent legislation) and the total general licensing hours applicable to the Petty Sessions Division

 

within which the Club premises are situated. The permitted hours shall be incorporated in a bye-law which shall be displayed in the Club and be notified to the Clerk to the Justices and the Chief Officer of Police.

 

Insofar as these rules allow for the sale of intoxicants such sale shall also be limited to the permitted hours fixed by the Committee.

 

The permitted hours may be extended only by application to the relevant Magistrates’ Court pursuant to the ‘Licensing Act 1964’ (or subsequent legislation).

 

General Meetings

 

Ordinary General Meetings

Ordinary general meetings shall be held as directed by the Committee.

 

The agenda for the meeting must be posted prominently on the Club premises for at least seven days prior to the meeting.

 

Notice of a motion submitted in writing by any member at least seven days before the date of such meeting shall be added to the agenda by the Secretary. No matters other than those which appear on the agenda shall be discussed at an ordinary general meeting.

 

Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting of the members shall be held in the month of April in each year, on a date to be fixed by the Committee. The Secretary shall post the date and time of the meeting together with an agenda of the business to be conducted prominently in the Club for at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.

 

The business of the meeting shall be to receive a report by the Committee for the previous financial year, to receive a statement of accounts and balance sheet and the report of the auditor for the previous financial year, and such other business as may be included in the agenda.

 

The Secretary shall add notice of a relevant motion in writing submitted by any financial member at least seven days before the date of such meeting to the agenda.

 

Special General Meetings

How to be called:

A special general meeting shall be called by the Secretary in the following circumstances:-

(a)     upon the direction of the Committee, and in accordance with such direction;

(b)     on a requisition, signed by one-fifth of the members or 25 such members, whichever is the less, stating the special object thereof. The requisition should include both the printed name and signature of the member. Such meeting shall be held within not less than 21 days and not more that 28 days from the date of the receipt by the Secretary of the requisition.

 

Notice to be given:

Notice of any special general meeting, and of the objects for which it is called, shall be posted prominently in the Club by the Secretary for at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.

 

Business:

No business other than that named in the notice shall be brought before a special general meeting.

 

Quorum

A general meeting may proceed to business if twenty qualified members are present within half an hour after the time fixed for the meeting, otherwise the meeting, if a special general meeting convened on the requisition of the members, shall be dissolved: but if an ordinary annual or special general meeting convened by order of the Committee shall stand adjourned to the week following at the same time, and the meeting so adjourned may proceed to business, whatever be the number of members present. No meeting shall become incompetent to transact business from the want of a quorum arising after the chair has been taken.

 

Presiding Officer

The Chairman, or the Vice-Chairman, or in the absence of all these officers, a member elected by the meeting shall preside at all general meetings.

 

Voting

All members may attend and speak at any general meeting.

 

All members shall be entitled to vote on any resolution.

Voting shall be decided by simple majority of those present except as otherwise provided in these rules and in the event of a tied vote the motion shall be deemed to be lost.

 

Rescinding

No resolution passed by a general meeting shall be rescinded, except by another general meeting called in accordance with the rule on Ordinary, Special and Annual Meetings. (as seen above)

 

Officers

 

Officers

Officers of the Club shall consist of a Chairman and Vice-Chairman who shall be elected annually by and be members of the Committee, and the Secretary who shall be appointed by the Trustees.

 

Trustees

Trustees are to be five in number and shall be responsible for the general overseeing of the good running of the club.

 

Vacation of Office

Any elected Officer shall vacate their office: -

(a)     upon removal from office;

(b)     upon cessation of membership of the Club;

(c)     upon suspension;

(d)     upon resignation submitted to the Secretary in writing and accepted by the Committee;

(e)     upon death.

 

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy arising among the elected officers, the Committee shall have power to appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy until the next ballot held. The period of appointment should not to exceed twelve months.

 

Honoraria

Officers other than the Secretary may receive such honorarium (if any) as the members in general meeting may from time to time decide.

 

Duties of Officers

 

The Chairman

The Chairman shall normally preside at all meetings of the Committee and shall have overall responsibility for the conduct of Club affairs.

 

The Vice-Chairman

The Vice-Chairman shall deputise for the Chairman as necessary.

 

The Secretary

The Secretary shall be responsible for the paying into the bank of all monies received by the Club from all sources, without any deduction for any purpose whatever, to the credit of an account opened in the name of the Club at such bank and in such manner as the Committee may direct. Furthermore, the Secretary shall keep such accounts and pay such debts of the Club as the Committee shall direct, and must render to the Committee or a general meeting an account of any monies received an expended by him. He will attend all general meetings (and all Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity) as directed by the Committee.

 

The Secretary shall keep upon the Club premises a list of the names and addresses of the members of the Club, and a subscription book (or books) in which shall be recorded the payments of such members.

 

He shall carry out the directions of the Committee and subject to such directions, shall receive monies on account of the Club, and keep such accounts as the Committee may direct.

 

He shall attend all general meetings (and all Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity) as directed by the Committee, take minutes of the proceedings, ensure the preparation of accounts and balance sheets and annual returns, and submit the same to the auditor.

 

The Committee

 

Management of the Club

The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club having regard to these rules and to any resolution of a general meeting called.

 

The Committee, or any officers authorised by them, shall have the power to give orders for goods to be supplied and work to be done as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Club. However, nothing in this rule shall empower the Committee to incur expenditure except such as is consistent with the purposes for which the Club is established.

 

No member shall by virtue of his appointment have power to order goods or dispose of the funds of the Club.

 

Payments to Members of the Committee

Unless specifically authorised by a general meeting, a member of the Committee may not: -

(a)     supply goods to the Club for payment;

(b)     enter into a contract for work to be done for the Club;

(c)     hold any office of salary or profit paid by the Club.

Note. Honoraria may be paid to officers or other members of the Committee if specifically and individually authorised by the members at a general meeting.

 

Conduct of Meetings

 

Frequency

The Committee shall meet at least once per month for general business. The Chairman or in his absence the Vice-Chairman or in his absence a chairman elected by the members present shall take the chair at meetings of the Committee.

 

Voting

The quorum of the Committee shall consist of at least two-thirds of the total membership of the Committee.

 

Each member of the Committee shall have one vote only. Except where otherwise provided in these rules, motions shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and voting and in the event of a tie, the motion shall be deemed to be lost.

 

Minutes

Minutes of all meetings of the Committee shall be taken by the Secretary (or in his absence a member appointed by the Committee). The Secretary shall cause the minutes of the meetings to be retained for at least ten years.

 

Vacation of Office

Committee members will vacate their office: -

(a)     upon cessation of membership of the Club;

(b)     upon suspension;

(c)     upon resignation submitted to the Secretary in writing and accepted by the Committee;

(d)     upon death:

 

 

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy arising amongst the members of the Committee, the Committee shall have power to appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy until the next ballot, the period of appointment not to exceed twelve months.

 

Sub-Committees

The Committee may appoint sub-committees as occasion requires and such sub-committees shall be responsible to the Committee.

 

Finance Sub-Committee

The Committee shall, at the first meeting following each election, appoint a sub-committee, to be called the Finance Sub-Committee. It shall consist of 5 members of the Committee and the duty of this Committee will be:-

(a)     to monitor the performance of the Club against budget projections;

(b)     arrange for stocktaking on the last Sunday of each month or alternatively the first convenient day of each month either by themselves or by an agent duly appointed for that purpose;

(c)     check all demands for payment with the order book of the Club, and with the delivery notes and invoices;

(d)     to report to the whole Committee whether such stock records agree with the returns made to the Club by the Steward, and whether the demands are in order and correct;

(e)     to check whether the Secretary’s cash record has been duly made up each week and the amount shown is reconciled with the records and bank statements of the Club’s accounts;

(f)      present to the Committee at each monthly meeting the records duly made up to date.

 

The proceedings of the Finance sub-Committee shall be recorded by a nominated member in a minute book kept for that purpose.

 

Conduct of Elections

 

Procedure

The election (other than the Secretary) of Committee members shall be by ballot. No person may hold more than one office. Each member of the Club shall have one vote for each vacancy.

 

Ballots

Ballots shall be held during the fourteen days following the annual general meeting. Such ballots shall remain open for at least three hours on the evenings on two days (consecutive if possible).

 

Scrutineers

Ballots shall be carried out under the direction of the committee by two scrutineers appointed by the Committee and shall not be candidates, committeemen, or officers.

 

The scrutineers shall, at the conclusion of the ballot, count the votes as entered on the ballot papers and display the results of any such election on the club notice board.

 

Eligibility

Any member shall be eligible for election only after he has been a member of the Club for at least 2 years and must be proposed and seconded by two members who must sign the nomination form. No member applying for election to the Committee may do so if they are elected to any other committee of any other club outside of the 49 Social Club.

 

Nominations

At least three weeks before the day fixed for any ballot, a notice shall be posted prominently on the Club premises by the Secretary, inviting nominations of candidates for election to the committee.

 

The trustees may at their discretion, interview potential new candidates for election to the Committee to establish their suitability or desirability for the position.

 

 

Result of Ballots

The result of ballots shall be made known within twenty-four hours of the close of the ballot. This to be by posting a notice on the Club notice-board, attested by the signatures of the scrutineers recording the number of votes polled by each candidate and indicating which of the candidates are elected. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes being those elected.

 

Misconduct of Members

 

No gaming (other than that permitted by law), drunkenness, prohibited drugs, bad language or other misconduct shall be permitted on the Club’s premises. Any officer or any member of the Committee shall have power to order the immediate withdrawal from the Club’s premises of any member offending under the provisions of this rule and the member may be dealt with by the Committee under the disciplinary rule. Such a member shall have no right of re-entry to the Club premises or benefits of membership until requested and attending to meet the Committee. If the next ordinary meeting of the Committee be within less than three days the member may claim to appear before them at that meeting and to have his case dealt with, waiving the length of notice required by the following rule.

 

Disciplinary Powers of the Committee

 

The Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend (for not less than one months nor more than 12 months), or expel any member who shall infringe any rule, or whose conduct, whether within or without the Club premises, shall in their opinion, bring the name of the 49 Social Club into disrepute and render the member unfit for membership.

 

No member shall be suspended or expelled without being given an opportunity to be heard by the Committee and to advance a defence, nor unless a majority (of two-thirds of the Committee then present) shall vote for his suspension or expulsion.

 

Every member required to appear before the Committee under this rule shall receive at least seven clear days’ notice in writing from the Secretary and the appearance shall normally be within 40 days of the alleged offence.

 

The Secretary shall notify the member of the Committee's decision in writing to within seven days.

 

Any member has the right of appeal and the trustees of the Club will hear any such appeal.

 

A suspended member shall remain liable to pay his subscription, but shall not be permitted to use any of the facilities of the Club or take any part in the affairs of the Club except as may be provided by the Act. The Secretary shall hold the Club membership card of suspended members.

 

Dress Code

 

Members shall be expected to maintain a reasonable standard of dress and shall under no circumstances wear clothing deemed to be offensive to other members of the club.

 

Livestock

 

No animals (except guide dogs) shall be permitted on club premises in any areas where the preparation of food takes place, in accordance with health and hygiene legislation.

 

Inspection of records by Members

 

Discretionary

A member may, at the discretion of the Committee, on giving seven clear days prior notice of his reason in writing to the Secretary, inspect the minutes of any meeting of the Committee.

 

 

 

 

Investments

 

The Committee may invest the funds of the Club in or upon any security, being a security in which trustees are for the time being authorised by law to invest for which purposes sections 1 to 6 of the ‘Trustee Investment Act 1961’ or any Act or Acts amending or in substitution for the same and for the time being in force shall apply as if the Club were a trustee and its funds were trust property; but not otherwise.

Loans

 

The Committee may take any such loan on such terms as to the rate and manner of repayment as it thinks fit; but terms as to the rate of interest agreed to be given on any such advance shall not exceed 5 per cent, per annum or 2 per cent, per annum above base lending rate, whichever is the higher (except monies borrowed by way of a bank loan or overdraft or by way of a mortgage of the Club’s premises).

 

Dissolution

 

The Club may at any time be dissolved by the consent of three-fourths of the members, testified by their signatures to an Instrument of Dissolution in the form provided by the Statutory Regulations in that behalf, or by winding up in a manner provided for by the Act.

 

Interpretation

 

In these rules:-

(a)     words importing the singular or plural shall include the plural and singular respectively;

(b)     words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine;

(c)     “records” shall mean books, or computer data;

(d)     “local newspaper” shall mean a newspaper circulating freely in or about the locality in which the Club's office is situated;

(e)     reference to the “National Council” shall include successor bodies appointed within the 49 Social Club;

(f)      reference to statutes shall include subsequent legislation;

(g)     “employee” shall mean any person who is required by statute to receive a written statement of employment particulars within two months of the start of employment.