The Constitution

The Club Constitution

The Constitution of the Exeter (Summerway) Junior Lawn Tennis Club was last amended on 19th June 2004 in order to use wording required by the authorities when registering the Club as a Community Amateur Sports Club. This was not a significant amendment, as the Club remains exactly the same as it has always been, i.e. open to all the community.

1. The name of the Club shall be the Exeter (Summerway) Junior Lawn Tennis Club.

2. The objectives of the Club shall be to promote the game of Lawn Tennis at junior level. Playing Membership shall be open to children for the calendar years between the ages of eight and eighteen inclusive. Entry to the Club will not normally be permitted after the calendar year in which a child attains the age of sixteen.

3. Membership of the Club is open to all the community (subject to §2 above) and without discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, gender, age, or disability, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of playing tennis.

4. The President and Vice-Presidents of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.

5. The Enrolment Fee and Annual Subscription shall be approved by the Annual General Meeting of the Club. The Annual Subscription becomes payable on 1st January, and is waived for the year of enrolment. The Annual Subscription is also waived for the following year if enrolment is on or after 1st November. The Management Committee as defined below may sanction discount and/or incentive structures applicable to the payment of Annual Subscriptions at its discretion.

6. The management of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee of the Club which shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and such interested persons nominated and elected at the Annual General Meeting. In the event that any of the four above mentioned offices are not filled by election at the Annual General Meeting, it shall be filled by the Management Committee from amongst its members.

7. Five members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum.

8. Committee meetings to be held as necessary but at least five meetings to be held in one year.

9. A Member is any parent or guardian of an existing Playing Member, or any elected Officer of the Club, or any person helping in Club activities on a frequent and regular basis.

10. Twelve members shall constitute a quorum for the Annual General Meeting, which will be held in November each year, and any Special General Meeting.

11. The Management Committee shall have power to co-opt members and to appoint any Sub-Committee and shall prescribe the function and powers of that Committee.

12. A Special General Meeting shall be convened at a request in writing to the Secretary of twelve members of the Club. Such a meeting shall be held within thirty days of the request.

13. The limitation on playing membership shall be the number and age fixed by the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

14. Applications for membership shall be made to the Membership Secretary on the Club’s official form and, if there are Playing Membership places available, will normally be approved subject to the parents/guardians signing the ‘self-declaration form’ in accordance with the Club’s Child Protection Policy and agreeing to participate in the supervision rota.

If the Membership Secretary considers that an application should not be approved, it will be referred to the Management Committee as soon as practicable. After considering the application, the Committee will inform the parents/guardians of the applicant of their decision and, if applicable, the reasons for refusal. Refusal will normally apply only when the Committee has good reason to suppose that new members are likely to act in breach of the Constitution or Rules of the Club.

15. No alteration to the Constitution may be made except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose. In either case, the text of proposed changes shall be displayed on the notice board in the Pavilion for at least fourteen days prior to the General Meeting. The Constitution shall not be altered unless two-thirds or more of members present vote in favour of the change(s). All other decisions at General and Management Committee meetings are by simple majority vote of members present.

16. The financial year shall run from 1st October to 30th September. The Treasurer shall keep account of all income and expenditure and shall submit accounts duly audited to the Annual General Meeting. The Banking Account shall be in the name of the Club and withdrawals shall be made in the name of the Club on the signature of any two of the following: (a) Chair (b) Treasurer (c) Secretary (d) Vice-Chair.

17. The Club is of a non-profit making nature and therefore any surplus of income over expenditure during the financial year will be reinvested in the Club. No Club assets in cash or in kind shall be distributed to members or third parties.

18. An auditor not being a member of the Club shall be appointed annually to audit the accounts and books of the Club.

19. The dissolution of the Club can only take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Club or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. In either case twenty-one days notice of the intention shall be given in writing to all Club members.

20. Any assets remaining on dissolution of the Club, after satisfying any outstanding debts and liabilities, shall not be distributed amongst members but will be given in equal shares to the charities:

(a) Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood Trust (Registered Charity Number 802396)

(b) Tearfund (Registered Charity Number 265464)

21. The Club shall take out a Public Liability Insurance to cover all meetings and activities.

22. Any matter not provided for in this Constitution shall be dealt with by the Management Committee whose decision is final.

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