Club Rules & Regs

This Club Constitution was amended by the AGM on 4th October 2009.

ODIHAM TENNIS CLUB CONSTITUTION

The Constitution consists of the following sets of RULES and REGULATIONS.
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.
A copy of these rules and regulations shall be prominently displayed at all times on a notice board in the pavilion, and all members shall be deemed conversant therewith.

RULES
1. Definitions
1.1 "the Chairman" means the person elected from time to time to be the chairman of the Club in accordance with Rule 6;
"the Honorary Secretary" means the person elected from time to time to be the honorary secretary of the Club in accordance with Rule 6;
"the Honorary Treasurer" means the person elected from time to time to be the honorary treasurer of the Club in accordance with Rule 6;
"the Officers" means the chairman, honorary secretary and honorary treasurer of the Club;
"the Committee" means the management committee appointed under Rule 6 to manage the Club;
"the Members" means the members of the Club admitted from time to time to membership of the Club in accordance with Rule 5;
"the Trustees" means the persons appointed to act as trustees of the Club in accordance with Rule 13;
"the Auditor" means an independent person, who is not a member of the Club, appointed to audit the accounts;
"the OSCT" means Odiham Sports Centre Trust;
"the OPC" means Odiham Parish Council;
"the H & IoW LTA" means Hampshire & Isle of Wight Lawn Tennis Association;
"the LTA" means The Lawn Tennis Association (the governing body of lawn tennis within Great Britain, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) of the National Tennis Centre, 100 Priory Lane, Roehampton,
London SW15 5JQ

1.2 Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine gender.

2. The Club
2.1 The Club, re-established in 1945, is called Odiham Tennis Club ("the Club").

2.2 By arrangement with the Odiham Sports Centre Trust and their Trustees, Odiham Parish Council, the Club has the use of two hard-courts at Chamberlain Gardens, Odiham, Hampshire, with the associated pavilion and floodlights.

2.3 The Club is affiliated to the LTA through the Hampshire and Isle of Wight LTA.

3. Objects
The objects of the Club are:
(a) to provide tennis, social and other activities and generally to encourage and facilitate the playing of tennis;
(b) to advise and assist the OSCT with the maintenance and refinement of its tennis facilities at Chamberlain Gardens;
(c) to promote, improve, develop and support the interests of tennis;
(d) to make rules and regulations concerning the operation of the Club including, without limitation; regulations concerning disciplinary procedures that may be taken against the Members;
(e) to do all such other things as the Committee thinks fit to further the interests of the Club or to be incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects stated in this Rule 3.

4. Application of Surplus Funds

4.1 The Club is an unincorporated non-profit-making private members' club. All surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club's facilities and in furtherance of the Club's objects. No surplus will be distributed other than in accordance with Clause 14.3 on winding-up or dissolution of the Club.

4.2 Nothing in Clause 4.1 shall prevent the Club from entering an agreement with a Member for the supply by him to the Club of goods or services, provided that such arrangements are approved by the Committee, without the Member being present, and are agreed with the Member on an arm's length basis.

5. Membership
5.1 The membership subscription year runs from 1st April to the following 31st March.

5.2 There shall be the following classes of members for the Club:
(a) Full Member: adult player with individual, joint or family membership;
(b) Student/Youth Member: player under 18 years of age or over 18 years of age in full time education;
(c) Junior Member: player under 16 years of age; Junior membership must supported by members with Full or Non-playing Member status;
(d) Non-Playing Member: responsible adult, parent or guardian of junior player(s).
(e) Life Member: a person who has been granted the award of Life Membership by the Members at a General Meeting.

5.3 Persons of either sex are eligible for full membership of the Club provided they are at least 18 years old. No person shall be denied membership of the Club on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, creed, colour, age, disability, sex, occupation, sexual orientation, religion, and political or other beliefs.

5.4 Only Full Members and Life Members shall be entitled to vote at general meetings.

5.5 Any person who wishes to become a Member must submit an application in such form as the Committee shall decide. Every candidate for membership may be considered by the Committee which shall, in its absolute discretion, decide whether to admit that candidate as a Member. The Committee may limit the number of Members.

5.5.1 Any Member may submit a nomination for the award of Life Membership to the Committee which shall then decide whether or not to put such nomination before the next general meeting.

5.6 All Members shall pay the appropriate annual subscription fee that has been determined at the preceding Annual General Meeting. No candidate who has been elected a Member shall be entitled to the privileges of membership until he has paid his first annual subscription. Any Member, whose subscription is not paid by such date as the Committee shall decide each year, shall be deemed to have resigned his membership of the Club.

5.7 All Members shall be subject to these Rules and the Regulations of the Club and shall abide by the rules and regulations of the LTA and H & IoW LTA, from time to time in force.

5.8 Resignation
A Member may withdraw from membership of the Club on clear written notice to the Club. Membership shall not be transferable in any event and shall cease immediately on death or dissolution or on the failure of the Member to comply or to continue to comply with any condition of membership set out in these Rules.

5.9 Expulsion
5.9.1 The Committee shall have power to expel a Member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the sport or of the Club for him to remain a Member.

5.9.2 A Member shall not be expelled unless he is given 14 days' written notice of the meeting of the Committee at which his expulsion shall be considered and written details of the complaint made against him.

5.9.3 The Member shall be given an opportunity to make written representations and/or to appear before the Committee and at any such meeting to be accompanied by a representative or friend, who may answer complaints made against the Member and to cross-examine any witnesses on behalf of the Member. The Member must not be expelled unless, at least two-thirds of the Committee then present, vote in favour of his expulsion.

5.9.4 The Committee may exclude the Member from the Club's premises until the meeting considering his expulsion has been held. For the avoidance of doubt, the Member shall be entitled to attend that meeting for the purpose of making his representations.

5.10 Effect of Resignation or Expulsion
Any person ceasing to be a Member forfeits all right to and claim upon the Club, its property and its funds, and he has no right to the return of any part of his subscription. However, the Committee may refund an appropriate part of a resigning Member's subscription if it considers it appropriate, taking account of all the circumstances.

6. The Committee
6.1 The Club shall be managed by a Committee, elected or re-elected at each annual general meeting.

6.2 The Committee shall consist of :
(a) the Chairman;
(b) the Honorary Secretary;
(c) the Honorary Treasurer;
(d) no more than 8 and no less than 4 other Members elected at an annual general meeting.

6.3 All persons proposed to be nominated as members of the Committee must be both nominated and seconded by any Full Members.

6.4 Any person nominated as a member of the Committee must be a Full Member.

6.5 Nominations may be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary or on a nomination form displayed in the Club pavilion prior to an annual general meeting; or orally during an annual general meeting.

6.6 If there is only one candidate nominated to fill any particular vacancy, that candidate shall be declared elected unopposed. If there is more than one candidate for any particular vacancy there shall be an election by secret ballot for that position. In the event of a tie, the candidate to be elected shall (unless the candidates otherwise agree) be determined by lot.

6.7 In addition to the Members elected or appointed in accordance with this Rule 6, the Committee may co-opt up to 2 further Members who shall serve until the next annual general meeting. Co-opted Members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Committee.

6.8 The Committee may appoint any Member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the next annual general meeting when that person shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.

6.9 A member of the Committee shall be deemed to have vacated office if:
(a) he resigns his office by notice to the Club;
(b) he is suspended from holding office or from taking part in any activity relating to the administration or management of the Club by a decision of the H & IoW LTA or the LTA; or
(c) he is requested to resign by not less than two-thirds of the other Committee members acting together;
(d) he ceases to be a Member.

7. Proceedings of the Management Committee
7.1 Committee meetings shall be held as often as the Committee thinks fit provided that there shall not be less than 3 meetings each year. The quorum for such meetings shall be 6. The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary shall have discretion to call emergency meetings of the Committee if they consider it to be in the interests of the Club. The Honorary Secretary shall give all the members of the Committee not less than 7 days' notice of a meeting. The Honorary Secretary shall arrange for a record of all formal Club meetings to be kept and approved by the Committee.

7.2 Unless he is unwilling to do so, the Chairman shall preside at every meeting of the Committee at which he is present. But if there is no person holding that office, or if the Chairman is unwilling to preside or is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the Honorary Secretary shall preside; or if he is unwilling to preside, or if he is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the members of the Committee present may appoint one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

7.3 Decisions of the Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman, or the acting chairman of that meeting, shall have a casting or additional vote.

7.4 The Committee shall arrange for the appointment of the Auditor prior to the end of each financial year.

7.5 The three Officers are appointed Trustees of the Club at an annual general meeting but the Committee may appoint replacements to discharge their duty until the following annual general meeting.

7.6 The Committee may from time to time create such sub-committees as it considers necessary and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may determine.

7.6.1 Any sub-committee shall be chaired by a member of the Committee but any Club member may be
co-opted to serve until the next annual general meeting or the prior dissolution of that sub-committee.

7.6.2 All sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Committee.

7.7 The Committee shall have power to make, repeal and amend such Regulations as it may from time to time consider necessary for the wellbeing of the Club. Such regulations and any repeals or amendments to them shall have effect until set aside by the Committee.
7.8 The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club and shall have the sole right of appointing and determining the terms and conditions of service of employees of the Club. The Committee shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Club on behalf of all the Members.

8. Annual General Meeting
8.1 The annual general meeting of the Club shall be held no later than 30 November each year to transact the following business:
(a) to agree the minutes of the previous annual general meeting;
(b) to receive the Chairman's report of the activities of the Club during the previous year;
(c) to receive and consider the accounts of the Club for the previous year, the Auditor's report on those accounts and the Honorary Treasurer's report as to the financial position of the Club;
(d) to agree the membership subscription rates for the following year;
(e) to elect the Officers and other members of the Committee;
(f) to appoint the Officers to be the Trustees of the Club;
(g) to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with Rule 8.2 below;
(h) to deal with any other matters which the Committee desires to bring before the membership.
(i) to discuss any other business that a member wishes to raise.

8.2 Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the annual general meeting shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than 7days before the meeting.

9. Extraordinary General Meetings
An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called within 21 days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 10 Full Members,
stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed.

10. Procedures at the annual and extraordinary general meetings
10.1 The Honorary Secretary shall send to each Member at his last known address by electronic mail or by post written notice of the date of the general meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the meeting.

10.2 The quorum for the annual and extraordinary general meetings shall be 10% of full adult Members.

10.3 The Chairman shall preside at all general meetings of the Club but if he is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or has signified his inability to be present at the meeting, the Full Members present may choose one of the other members of the Committee present to preside and if no other member of the Committee is present or willing to preside the Full Members present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

10.4 Each Full Member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those Members present and voting. In the event of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

10.5 The Honorary Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Committee, shall take minutes at annual and extraordinary general meetings.

10.6 There shall be no right for a Member to vote by proxy.

11. Alteration of the Rules
These Rules may be altered by resolution at an annual or extraordinary general meeting provided that the resolution shall not be passed unless carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at the general meeting, the notice of which contains particulars of the proposed alteration or addition.

12. Finance
12.1 The Club's Financial Year shall run from 1st October to 30th September.

12.2 All moneys payable to the Club shall be received by a person authorised by the Committee to receive such moneys and shall be deposited in a bank account in the name of the Club. No sum shall be drawn from that account except by cheque signed by 2 of the 3 signatories who shall be the Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. Any moneys not required for immediate use may be invested as the Committee in its discretion thinks fit.

12.3 Subject to Rule 13.2, the income and property of the Club shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club and no part thereof shall be paid by way of bonus, dividend or profit to any Member.

12.4 The Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any Officer, member of the Committee, Member or employee of the Club and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

12.5 The financial transactions of the Club shall be recorded by the Honorary Treasurer in such manner as the Committee thinks fit.

12.6 Full accounts of the financial affairs of the Club shall be prepared each year and made available to every Member attending the annual general meeting and to any other Member who requests a copy. A report on these accounts shall be prepared by the Auditor.

12.7 The Committee shall have no power to borrow without the specific sanction of a general meeting.

12.8 The Club makes annual payments to an OSCT amortisation fund.

13. Property
13.1 Three Trustees of the Club shall hold any property belonging to the Club.

13.2 The property of the Club shall be vested in the Trustees. The Trustees shall deal with the property as directed by resolution of the Committee and entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence of such a resolution.

13.3 The Trustees shall be entitled to personal indemnity out of the funds of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the discharge of their duties.

14. Dissolution
14.1 A resolution to dissolve the Club shall be proposed only at an extraordinary general meeting and shall be passed only if carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting.

14.2 The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Committee shall be responsible for the winding-up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

14.3 Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be paid to, or distributed to, the OSCT (Charity No. 301909) for use in community related sports initiatives.

REGULATIONS, 8 October 2008
1. Membership
1.1 Adult playing members may pay for the personal use of a pavilion key, which remains the property of the Club.

1.2 Members may bring along guest players, consenting to payment of the fee by entering them in the signing-in book.

1.3 Memberships commencing after 1st October may be granted at a pro rata discounted rate.

1.4 Discounts are available for family memberships to include registered partners, and children in full-time education.

1.5 Current annual membership subscription rates:
Full (adult) £ 59.00
Joint (2 adults) £ 99.00
Family (2 adults & children in f.t.e.) £127.00
Student/Youth (<18y or >18y in f.t.e.) £ 25.00
Junior * (<16y) £ 20.00
Non-playing* (responsible adult) £ 5.00
Life member no fee

* Junior membership must supported by members with Full or Non-playing responsible adult status

1.6 Other fees:
League match fee £ 2.00
Visitors (playing with member) £ 2.00
Championship entry £ 2.00
Pavilion key £ 5.00
Smart card for floodlights £ 15.00 (includes a £5 deposit for the card)

1.7 Fees for coaching sessions are set by the Committee after consultation with a professional coach.

2. Court availability
2.1 Both courts are booked at pre-arranged times for a programme of Club Sessions, League Matches, Coaching Sessions and Special Events, updates posted at the clubhouse and on Club website.

2.2 Weekly Schedule 2009/10:

Summer: 1 Apr - 30 Sep Winter: 1 Oct - 31 Mar
Sunday Club session 10:00 to 13:00 11:00 to 13:00
Tuesday Club session 18:30 to 21.30
Wednesday Club session (Ladies) 13.30 to 15:30 13.30 to 15:30
Thursday Club session 18:30 to 21.30 18:30 to 21.30
Saturday Coaching sessions 08:45 to 14:30 08:45 to 14:30

2.3 The Club provides the balls for all Club sessions. Authorised junior members of an adequate playing ability can join in Club sessions.

2.4 At all other times one court (Club court) is available to members and one court (Parish court) is available for hire by the public but otherwise also available to members.

3. League Teams
3.1 The Club enters Men's, Ladies' and Mixed teams in the Basingstoke & District Tennis League; and Men's, Ladies' and an over-55 Mixed Veterans' team in the East Hants League.

3.2 Home matches are usually played on Sunday afternoons or weekday evenings; dates are posted on the Club notice board and on Club website.

4. Floodlights
4.1 Full members may buy a smart card for turning on the court floodlights.

4.2 The lights are automatically switched off at 22:00.

4.3 No junior (under 16) is permitted to play under floodlights without an adult member being present.

4.4 Following a turn-off, the lights of each court cannot be re-ignited for 15 minutes.

5. Security
5.1 Members shall not divulge the entrance code to non-members. The last to leave shall ensure that both the pavilion and courts are locked.

5.2 Only clean non-marking tennis shoes are to be worn on the courts, current shoe tags should be worn as proof of membership.

5.3 All members are to take care of the club property. Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that juniors properly use and take care of the courts and pavilion. The tennis courts are out of bounds to bicycles, roller blades and dogs.