CLUB RULES
(as revised at the AGM 2010)
1. TITLE
The Club shall be called the East Grinstead Tennis and Squash Club.
2. OBJECTS
The object of the Club is to provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community in the sports of tennis and squash. The Club shall be governed by the Rules of the Lawn Tennis Association and Squash England (as appropriate) to which the Club shall be affiliated.
The Income and Property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club’s objects as set forth in these rules and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to the Members of the Club.
3. PREMISES
The premises and Headquarters of the Club shall be East Grinstead Tennis and Squash Club, Ship Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 4EE or at such other address or addresses as the Club may in General Meeting determine.
4. MEMBERSHIP
The Club shall be a Members Club and shall consist of Ordinary Members together with such Honorary Members, Life Members, Junior Members, Student Members, Weekday Members and Temporary Members as are hereinafter mentioned.
5. MANAGEMENT
The affairs of the Club, in all matters not specified in these Club Rules as reserved for the Club in General Meeting, shall be managed by the General Committee of the Club and the General Committee shall meet at least quarterly.
6. GENERAL COMMITTEE
The General Committee shall consist of nine core members who shall fill the posts of President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Bar Manager, Membership Secretary, Ground and House Manager, Tennis Chairman and Squash Chairman. The nine core members or any additional members as recommended by the General Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. Where an individual has served five consecutive terms in a particular post he/she will not be eligible for re-election to that particular post for at least one year.
7. EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
The Club may in Annual General Meeting appoint Officers to the posts of Fund Raising Committee Chairman, and Entertainments Committee Chairman, who shall be Ex Officio Members of the General Committee without voting rights.
8. SUB COMMITTEES
The General Committee may appoint Fund Raising and Entertainments sub-committees and may appoint one or more other sub-committees for such purposes as it may deem appropriate.
9. QUORUM
Four Members shall constitute a Quorum of the General Committee and three Members a Quorum of a sub-committee or section committee.
10. TENNIS AND SQUASH SECTIONS
(i) The Members shall appoint at the Annual General Meeting, a Tennis Section Committee comprising a Chairman, Fixture Secretary, Men’s Captain, Ladies’ Captain, Junior Representative and two other Members.
(ii) The Members shall appoint at the Annual General Meeting, a Squash Section Committee comprising a Chairman, Fixture Secretary, Men’s Captain, Ladies’ Captain, Junior Representative and two other Members.
(iii) The Committee of each Section shall retire annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election.
(iv) The Committee of each Section shall be responsible for and may make regulations governing the running of their representative sports but shall be under jurisdiction of the General Committee. The Chairman of each Section Committee or a deputy shall report to the General Committee.
11. CASUAL VACANCIES
In the event of a vacancy arising amongst the Officers of the General Committee, a Sub-Committee or a Section Committee whether by death, resignation or other cause the vacancy shall be filled by the General Committee.
12. GENERAL COMMITTEE POWERS
The General Committee shall have control of the management of the Club and shall have exclusive power to engage or dismiss staff and other servants of the Club. It shall have the power to purchase such articles and do all such things as it may deem necessary for the carrying out of the objects of the Club (save that such expenditure shall not at any one time exceed the sum of Four Thousand Pounds). It shall have due regard to any resolution or recommendation of any General Meeting.
13. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than the 30th Day of November in each year and there shall not be more than fifteen months between one Annual General Meeting and the next.
14. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting of the Club may be summoned at any time by the General Committee and shall be so summoned immediately upon thirty or one fifth of the total of the number of Ordinary, Honorary and Life Members of the Club each being entitled to vote at a General Meeting under these Rules (whichever shall be the less) delivering to the General Committee a written request in that behalf.
15. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
A General Meeting shall be summoned by causing a Notice thereof and of the business to be transacted thereat to be posted on the notice board in the Club premises for a period of at least fourteen days immediately preceding the day appointed for the General Meeting and by sending a Notice thereof and of the business to be transacted thereat to every Ordinary, Life or Honorary Members by ordinary pre-paid second class post or e-mail at least eighteen days prior to such Meeting (exclusive of the day of posting) and thereupon Notice shall be deemed to have been given to all such Members of the Club whether or not the same are received but these requirements both as to time and method of service of Notice may be abridged in the discretion of the General Committee if the urgency of the business to be discussed in their opinion so requires.
16. CONDUCT OF THE GENERAL MEETINGS
At any General Meeting of the Club every Member of the Club shall be entitled to be present and every Ordinary, Life or Honorary Member who has attained the age of eighteen years on the preceding 1st April shall be entitled to one vote upon every question raised. In the case of equality of voting the Chairman of the Meeting (who shall be the Chairman of the Club or in default of him a Member elected for the occasion by the Meeting before any other business is opened) shall have a second or casting vote. No member shall be entitled to vote by proxy. Thirty Members of the Club shall constitute a quorum for a General Meeting. If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place. Such adjournment shall be posted on a notice board on the Club premises. If at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the members present shall be a quorum.
17. FINANCIAL YEAR
The financial year of the Club shall commence on the 1st April in any year and shall end on the 31st March in the next year following.
18. ACCOUNTS
The Treasurer shall keep such Books of Accounts as will enable him to present at every Annual General Meeting of the Club or at any other time if required (on reasonable notice to him) by the General Committee an accurate Report and Statement concerning the finances of the Club including a separate statement with regard to the purchase and supply of tobacco and intoxicating liquor for the preceding year or for the current year as the case may be and shall present such Report and Statement accordingly.
19. ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
The Annual Audited Accounts of the Club shall be sent to each Ordinary and Life Member of the Club with the Notice of the Annual General Meeting. The Club shall in each year of Account at the Annual General Meeting appoint an Auditor nominated by the General Committee and who appears to them to be reasonably qualified to act in such matters to audit its Accounts and Balance Sheet for that year. The General Committee may appoint an Auditor to fill any casual vacancy occurring between the Annual General Meetings of the Club.
20. FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
The General Committee shall from time to time determine the annual subscriptions payable for the different classes of Membership and shall review the same annually but shall have the power to waive or reduce the payment of fees and subscriptions in any case which it considers deserves special consideration.
21. PAYMENT OF FEES
Annual Subscriptions shall be payable on election as provided in Rule 25 hereof and thereafter without demand on the first day of the Financial Year. The General Committee may terminate the Membership of any Member whose annual subscription remain unpaid on the 30th April in the year in which the same is due, or in the case of newly elected members, within one month of their election.
22. BYE-LAWS
The General Committee may from time to time make, vary and revoke Bye-Laws (not inconsistent with these Rules) for the regulations of the internal affairs of the club and the conduct of Members and the Bye-Laws for the time being in force shall be binding on all Members. Such Bye-Laws and regulations shall be posted on the Notice Board in the Club House.
23. CAR PARK
Without prejudice to the generality of Rule 22 hereof the General Committee shall have power to make Rules and Regulations governing the use of the car park facilities provided by the Club, the restriction on its use by Members when they are not otherwise using the facilities of the Club and levy of such charges as they may from time in their absolute discretion think fit for its use by Members and Non Members when not otherwise using such facilities.
24. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of tennis or squash as particular sports.
25. NEW MEMBERS
The General Committee shall deal with applications for membership in such manner as they shall think fit. The new Member shall be sent a copy of the Rules of the Club and club information for the current year.
26. RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS
Any Member wishing to resign from the Club shall give Notice to the Secretary in writing to that effect prior to the first day of the next Financial Year, in default whereof such Member shall be liable for the current annual subscription.
27. REFUSAL OR EXPULSION
The Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend (for a period not exceeding twelve months) or expel any Member who shall infringe any Rule, whose conduct whether within the Club House or elsewhere shall in their opinion render them unfit for Membership but no Member, unless convicted of an offence by a Court of summary jurisdiction or other Court (save of a traffic offence) shall be reprimanded, suspended or expelled without being first summoned before the General Committee and full opportunity afforded to them to advance a defence nor unless two thirds at least of the Members of the General Committee then present and entitled to vote shall vote for their suspension or expulsion. Every Member so summoned shall (unless they shall elect to waive their right to receive notice) receive at least four clear days Notice in writing from the Secretary of such Meeting and such Notice shall contain a statement of the charge brought against them and that they have the right to submit their defence either verbally or in writing to the General Committee. The Member shall have the right to appeal against the decision of the General Committee to the Club’s members at a Special General Meeting. Such an appeal must be decided by a majority vote. An expelled member shall not be entitled to use the Club premises. A suspended Member shall not be entitled to use the Club premises, nor attend any General Meeting nor vote at any election nor hold any office during suspension but shall remain liable to pay their subscription.
28. TEMPORARY MEMBERS
Temporary Membership may be granted on such terms and subject to such conditions as the General Committee may from time to time determine. Application therefore may be made to the Membership Secretary in the same manner as for full Membership and Rules 24 and 25 hereof. The number of Temporary Members shall not exceed one tenth of the total membership of the Club.
29. HONORARY MEMBERS
The General Committee shall put up for appointment in General Meeting up to a total of ten members who shall not be liable to pay any entrance fee or annual subscription but shall be entitled to all the privileges of Membership.
30. LIFE MEMBERSHIP
The General Committee may grant Life Membership to Ordinary Members of the Club at such rate or rates as may be from time to time determined so, however, that there shall not at any one time be more than thirty individual Life Members and ten Family Life Members.
31. JUNIOR MEMBERS
The Club may admit Junior Members who shall be aged between eight and eighteen years of age on the first day of the Financial Year. All children within this age group of playing Family Members do not pay an annual fee but are deemed to be Junior Members. Junior Members aged between eight and eleven years of age must at all times be supervised by an adult member whilst on the Club premises and no Junior Member under the age of sixteen may use the Club House except when an adult is present.
32. VISITORS
Members may introduce and entertain guests at the Club and there shall be kept at the Club premises a Visitors Book which both the Member and their Guest shall sign. Guests may play tennis or squash at the Club on payment by the Member introducing such guest such a fee per session as shall be set from time to time by the General Committee under Rule 20. No Member may bring more than three Guests to the Club on any one day and no guest shall play tennis or squash at the Club on more than three occasions in any one year. No person whose Membership of the Club has been terminated or is for the time being suspended or whose application for Membership has at any time been rejected shall be introduced as a guest. The General Committee may introduce playing visitors in this category under a hiring agreement.
33. INTOXICATING LIQUOR
(i) The supply of intoxicating liquor in the Club premises shall be at such times as the General Committee shall from time to time determine in accordance with the provisions of the Licensing Act 1964 and within the normal licensing hours of the Mid Sussex District Council for the time being in force and such licensing hours shall be posted on the Club Notice Board. No intoxicating liquor shall be supplied to Members or to any other persons on the Club premises otherwise than by or on behalf of the Club. Guests of Members, visiting teams, official and their bona fide guests, competitors in open tournaments and persons attending social functions organised by the Club shall be entitled to purchase intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises. No intoxicating liquor shall be supplied to persons under the age of eighteen.
(ii) The names and addresses of guests using the Club bar facilities must be entered in the Visitors Book in accordance with Rule 32 hereof and signed by the introducing member in whose company the guest should be when purchasing intoxicating liquor.
34. TRUSTEES
(i) There shall be not less than two nor more than four Trustees of the Club who shall be appointed from time to time as necessary by the General Committee. A Trustee shall hold office during their life or until they shall resign by notice in writing given to the General Committee or until a resolution removing them from office shall be passed by the General Committee by a majority comprising two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote. For the purpose of giving effect to such appointments the Chairman is hereby nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees of the Club within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustees Act 1925 and he shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so appointed by the General Committee.
(ii) All property of the Club including land and investments shall be held by Trustees for the time being in their own names so far as necessary and practicable for the use and benefit if the Club. On the death, resignation or removal from office of a Trustee the General Committee shall appoint a new Trustee in their place and shall as soon as possible thereafter take all lawful and practicable steps to procure the vesting of all Club property into the names of the Trustees as constituted after the said appointment.
(iii) 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 General Committee evidenced conclusively by a copy of the Resolution certified by the Chairman or Secretary and shall be indemnified by the Club as to risk assumed and expense incurred in connection with the holding and discharge of their office out of the Club property. The Trustees 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 General Committee’s directions.
35. INTERPRETATION
Any question not covered by or arising under the Rules and any Bye-Laws made hereunder shall be referred to the General Committee whose decision shall be final and binding.
36. ALTERATION OF RULES
These Rules may be added to, repealed or amended by Resolution at any General Meeting provided that no such Resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it be carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the Members present and entitled to vote on such Resolution of which Notice has been duly given specifying the intention to propose the addition, repeal or amendment together with full particulars thereof.
37. DISSOLUTION
The Members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and entitled to vote support that proposal at a properly convened General Meeting. The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs. After settling all liabilities of the Club the General Committee or the Trustees shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following :-
- another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity
- another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered CASC
- the Club’s governing bodies for use by them for related community sports.
38. RELOCATION OF THE CLUB OR AMALGAMATION WITH ANOTHER ORGANISATION
Any Resolution proposing the relocation of the Club to a new venue or the amalgamation of the Club with another Organisation shall not be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of all the members of the Club who are entitled to vote on such a resolution at a General meeting properly convened for that purpose.
CLUB BYE-LAWS
(as revised at the AGM 2011)
1. GENERAL COMMITTEE
The nine core members of the General Committee must be adult members.
2. NEW MEMBERS
No person shall be admitted to any class of membership until an interval of 48 hours has elapsed between his/her application and their admission.
3. TEMPORARY MEMBERS
The period of Temporary Membership may not be less than 30 days.
4. INTOXICATING LIQUOR
The supply of intoxicating liquor in the Club premises shall be at such times as the General Committee shall from time to time determine in accordance with the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 and with respect to the allowable hours under the terms of our licence with Mid Sussex District Council. Such licensing hours shall be posted on the Club Notice Board.