Royal Ulster Yacht Club Rules
ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB
RULES AND BY-LAWS
November 2019
Updated after the Annual General Meeting 23rd November 2019
Including amendments since a major Revision in 2000
Informative notes are on the final page
ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB
RULES AND BY-LAWS
2018
REVISED OR AMENDED
1905 -1910 -1916 – 1923 – 1929 – 1933
1945 – 1953 – 1969 – 1977 – 1985 – 1988
1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 2000 – 2001 – 2004
2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 - 2013
2015 – 2016 - 2017 (SGM & AGM) – 2018 – 2019 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 (SGM)
Major Revision approved at the Annual General Meeting on 25 November 2000
No amendments were made at the AGMs in 2002, 2003, 2008, 2014 & 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rule
- Name and Flags
- Object and Station
3. Family Membership
4. Inport Members
5. Honorary Members
6. Senior Members (Interpretation applied January 2010)
7. Life Members
8. Inport Associates (Interpretation applied October 2003)
9. Senior Associates
10. Life Associates
11. Outport Associates
12. Temporary Associates
13. Intermediate Associates
14. Junior Associates
15. Category Transfers
16. Rights and Restrictions
17. Limitation on numbers of Members and Associates
18 - 21. Election
22. Membership Cards
23 - 24. Entrance Fees, Subscriptions & Capital Surcharges
25. Unpaid Subscriptions
26 - 28. Officers, Committee and management
29. General Meetings
30. Notice of General Meetings
31. Honorary Secretary
32. Honorary Treasurer
33. Honorary Sailing Secretary & Sailing Sub-Committee
34. Membership Sub-Committee
35. Sailing Rules
36. Liability
37. Yacht Register
38. Day Visitors
39. Sailing Visitors
40. Responsibility for Guests
41. Resignations
42. Club Property
43. Suggestions and Complaints
44. Conduct
45. Alteration of Rules
46. Alteration of By-Laws
47. Charges
48. Names and Addresses
49. Recovery of Debts
50. Intoxicating Liquor
51. Gratuities
52. Interpretation of Rules and By-Laws
53. Club Property and Trustees
BY-LAWS
By-Laws
B1 - B17
SCHEDULES
Schedule One
Recognised Yacht Clubs with reciprocal arrangements
Schedule Two
Hours for supply of intoxicating liquor
Schedule Three
Child Protection Policy
Schedule Four
Code of Conduct for working with young people
Schedule Five
Entrance Fees, Annual Subscriptions & Capital Surcharge
NOTES & REVISIONS
Informative and clarification Notes
ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB
RULES AND BY-LAWS
2018
RULES
NAME AND FLAGS
1.The Club, which was established in the year 1866 and under authority granted by Queen Victoria on 20th August 1869 shall be called "Royal Ulster Yacht Club" and its Flags, as authorised by Sealed Warrant of the Admiralty dated 19th February 1870, shall be the Blue Ensign of Her Majesty's Fleet and a Blue Burgee with the distinctive marks of the Club thereon - namely, the Red Hand of Ulster on a White Shield, surmounted by a Royal Crown, and as depicted on the frontispiece of these Rules.
OBJECT AND STATION
2.The object of the Club shall be the encouragement of yachting. The Club shall not be conducted for profit. Any surplus of income over expenditure in any year shall be applied for the benefit of its Members and Associates. The station shall be at Bangor, County Down.
MEMBERSHIP
3.The Club shall consist of the following Categories of Members: Inport, Honorary, Senior, and Life, and the following Categories of Associates: Inport, Senior, Life, Outport, Temporary, Intermediate and Junior. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires and except in such as to provide for payment of subscriptions, the term “Member” shall include Inport, Honorary, Senior, and Life Members, and the term “Associate” shall include Inport, Senior, Life, Outport, Temporary, Intermediate and Junior Associates.
Family Membership: Where a parent is paying the appropriate Inport or Associate Subscription, their children under the age of 18 may become Junior Associates without payment of subscription until 1 January following their eighteenth birthday.
INPORT MEMBERS
4 Inport Members shall be Ladies or Gentlemen of the age of 21 years and upwards, who shall be elected as such, or transferred from the Intermediate Associates Category, or transferred under the provisions of Rule 15.
HONORARY MEMBERS
5. Honorary Members shall be Inport Members or persons who have rendered special services to the Club or to yachting in general, or who for other exceptional reasons are recommended by the General Committee and are elected as such at an Annual General Meeting of the Club, either for Life or such other period as the General Meeting may decide. The privileges of membership shall not be available until the expiration of at least two days after the date of election.
SENIOR MEMBERS
6. Senior Members shall be Inport Members, or Inport Associates who have attained the age of 65 years and who:
(a) subsequent to 1st January 2001, have been continuously Inport Members or Inport Associates of the Club for the previous twenty years, or
(b) prior to 1st January 2001, had already become Senior Members with over ten years of previous continuous membership.
Senior Associates shall be eligible to transfer to this Category under the provisions of Rule 15.
(Interpretation applied to 6(a) and 6(b) – January 2010 – See Notes and Revisions on Page 14)
LIFE MEMBERS
7. Life Members shall be those Members of at least five years’ standing who shall be elected as such by the General Committee.
INPORT ASSOCIATES
(Interpretation applied to 8(b) - October 2003 – See Notes and Revisions on Page 14)
8. Inport Associates shall be:
(a) Spouses, or de facto Partners of Inport, Honorary, Senior and Life Members.
(b) Widows, widowers, or de facto Partners of deceased Inport, Honorary, Senior and Life Members who have not subsequently remarried or have not entered into another de facto Partnership.
(c) Widowed parents or parents-in-law, not subsequently remarried and over 65 years of age, of Inport, Honorary, Senior and Life Members.
(d) Ladies who do not qualify for Associateship under categories (a), (b) or (c) above and who, at 1 January 2001, were Lady Associates under that closed Category.
(e) Persons who have transferred under the provisions of Rule 15.
Inport Associates in the categories (a) and (c) above shall cease to be Inport Associates if the Member to whom they are related ceases, otherwise than by death, to be a Member, and in Category (a), Inport Associates shall cease to be Inport Associates if they cease to be related by marriage to, are permanently separated from, or cease to be in a de facto Partnership with a Member.
Inport Associates whose Associateship is required to be terminated under this provision may apply to the General Committee in writing requesting transfer to another appropriate Category of Membership.
In any such case in which an Inport Associate ceases to be an Inport Associate they shall be treated as being transferred to the new Category of Membership as from the start of the next Membership Year
De facto Partner:
A person is the de facto Partner of another person (whether of the same sex or a different sex) if all of the following criteria apply:
- They have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others
- The relationship between them is genuine and continuing
- They live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis
- They are not related by family
Consideration may be given to partnerships who meet part of the above criteria on an exceptional and on a case-by-case basis. Any application of this nature shall be considered by the Membership Committee and a recommendation as to whether to accept will be made to the General Committee for approval.
SENIOR ASSOCIATES
9. Senior Associates shall be Ladies who up until 1 January 2001 were Senior Lady Associates. They shall be entitled to continue to pay at the rate defined in Schedule Five until such time as they change to another current Category within the criteria provided within these Rules.
LIFE ASSOCIATES
10. Life Associates shall be Ladies who, at 1 January 2001, were Life Associates under that now closed Category. They shall continue to be entitled to a NIL subscription level for Life.
OUTPORT ASSOCIATES
11. (A) Outport Associates shall be:
(1) Ladies or Gentlemen who are domiciled outside Northern Ireland and who shall be elected as such, or
(2) Members or Associates who cease to be domiciled in Northern Ireland and who apply to General Committee to become Outport Associates and are accepted as such by General Committee, or
(3) Persons who, whilst remaining domiciled within Northern Ireland, have special circumstances (for example, undertaking a sabbatical) giving rise to an expectation that they shall reside within Northern Ireland for less than 45 days within a given membership year, and who apply to General Committee to become Outport Associates and are accepted as such by General Committee, or
(4) Persons who have transferred under the provisions of Rule 15.
11 (B) Outport Associates shall be responsible for advising General Committee should they no longer meet the eligibility of Outport Associateship so that an appropriate category transfer may be arranged in accordance with the provisions of Rule 15.
11 (C) For the purposes of interpreting Rule 11
(1) the word “domiciled” shall mean the country where the Member or Associate retains his or her permanent legal residence. An obligation shall be placed upon the Member or Associate to prove they are or they intend to become domiciled outside Northern Ireland, and General Committee shall have complete discretion to interpret the country of domicile which is deemed applicable for the application of Rule11.
(2) General Committee shall have complete discretion to consider the relevance of “special circumstances|” as referred to in 11(3) above.
TEMPORARY ASSOCIATES
12. Temporary Associates shall be:
(a) Any Resident Magistrate for the District which includes Bangor who may be elected for any period not exceeding their term of office.
(b) The Chief Constable of the PSNI who may be elected for any period not exceeding their term of office.
(c) Any commissioned Officer of Her Majesty's Forces stationed, but not ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, who may be elected for the time for which they are stationed in Northern Ireland.
(d) Members of any Officers' Mess of Her Majesty's Forces which shall be elected, en bloc as such, for any period not exceeding the period during which the Mess is stationed in Northern Ireland.
(e) Members of any recognised yacht club, or owners of yachts visiting Bangor, and their friends on board, who may be invited to become Temporary Associates for the duration of their visit to Bangor. The General Committee shall have the power to authorise the Honorary Secretary or any Officer to issue such invitations on a bona fide basis.
(f) Any non-member attending a recognised Club training course. (Access restricted to the course dates and times).
(g) Members of the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Squad and/or those persons who are receiving financial support from Sport Northern Ireland Athlete Support Programme in connection with sailing.
The General Committee shall determine the period for which any Temporary Associate (including any persons invited by the Honorary Secretary or an Officer) shall remain so, fix the amount of subscription (if any) to be paid, and shall have the power at all times to cancel or curtail the rights of Temporary Associates. The General Committee shall have the power to agree reciprocal arrangements with any other recognised yacht club. Such clubs shall be listed in Schedule One.
INTERMEDIATE ASSOCIATES
13. Intermediate Associates shall be persons over the age of 23 years and under the age of 36 who shall be elected as such or transferred from the Junior Associates Category, or who have transferred under the provisions of Rule 15.
JUNIOR ASSOCIATES
14. (a) Junior Associates shall be persons under the age of 23 years who shall be elected as such, or who have transferred under the provisions of Rule 15.
(b) Junior Associates under the age of 18 years are not permitted in the Back Bar or at or near the Main Bar at any time.
(c) Junior Associates under the age of 18 years may not remain in any part of the Club premises after 10pm, and may not be in the Main Lounge after 9.00pm except to use it for the purposes of gaining access from one part of the Club premises to another.
(d) The Club has adopted and is committed to observing the Child Protection Policy set out in Schedule Three to these Rules and at all times Members and Associates in contact and working with young people in the Club shall observe the Code of Conduct set out in Schedule Four to these Rules.
Category Transfers
15. Any Member or Associate who, by reason of age, length of continuous membership, change of marital status, change of family relationship, or change of place of domicile is required by the provisions of these Rules to change to a different Category of membership, or who, because of personal preference is able to satisfy the criteria within these Rules to seek a voluntary change to a different Category, and obtains the appropriate approval from the General Committee, may be transferred to the new Category with effect from the next 1 January following their eligibility or approval to qualify for such new status.
Applications seeking approval for change from any Associate Category to Inport Member shall be submitted prior to the November meeting of the General Committee and shall be on a form which shall be placed on the notice-board along with other applications for membership.
Rights and Restrictions
16. (a) Only Inport, Senior and Life Members, and Honorary Members who were members immediately before their election as Honorary members shall be qualified to have the right to claim any share in the property of the Club in the event of its dissolution.
(b) Any member, other than a Junior, Outport or Temporary Associate, shall be qualified to be elected as Officers or members of the General Committee, but only Inport, Senior and Life Members, and Honorary Members who were members immediately before their election as Honorary members shall be qualified to be elected as Flag Officers.
(c) Any member, other than a Junior or Temporary Associate, shall have the right to attend or vote at Annual or Special General Meetings. Inport, Senior and Life Members attending Annual or Special General Meetings shall be entitled to 2 votes each; all other members attending shall be entitled to 1 vote each.
(d) Inport Associates, Senior Associates, Life Associates, Outport Associates, Temporary Associates, Intermediate Associates and Junior Associates shall be subject to such restrictions in their use of the facilities of the Club as shall, from time to time, be laid down in the Club’s By-Laws.
(e) The total number of persons elected as Associates of the Club shall not at any time exceed three times the number of persons then being Members of the Club.
(f) The Secretary of State for Defence has issued a Warrant to the Club which allows it to issue Permits to Members and Associates who are boat owners and who wish to exercise the right to fly the Blue Ensign defaced with the approved Club Crest. The issue of a Permit by the Club Office on behalf of the Flag Officers and General Committee is subject to the Regulations laid down by the Admiralty. The Ensign may not be worn unless the Owner of the yacht is on board or in effective control of the boat when she is in a marina or a harbour or at anchor near to the shore. The Permit must always be on board whenever a defaced Blue Ensign is worn. Ensigns must always be to a design approved by the Club. When there is a change of ownership or the Owner ceases to be a Member or Associate of the Club, the Permit must at once be surrendered to the Secretary of the Club who shall cancel it forthwith.
LIMITATION ON NUMBERS OF MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES
17.The General Committee may from time to time restrict, close or suspend election to or fix the maximum number of persons in any Category of Members or Associates.
ELECTION
18.Every candidate nominated for admission as a Member or Associate must be proposed by a Member and seconded by another Member. Proposers and Seconders shall be Members of not less than three years standing. Every nomination shall be made on an application form as approved by the General Committee and shall be lodged with the Honorary Secretary.
19.(a) The election of Members and Associates shall be vested solely in the General Committee.
(b) Subject to the General Committee having decided that there are vacancies, Application Forms for membership may be obtained from the Club Office at any time. Once a fully completed Application Form has been received, details of the Applicant shall be entered onto a Schedule that records their name, address and occupation, and the names of the Proposer, Seconder and General Committee Member to whom the Applicant has been introduced.
(c) In advance of each monthly meeting of the General Committee but no more than five working days beforehand, copies of the Schedule shall be sent to all members of the General Committee. At the same time, copies of the Schedule and copies of the associated Application Forms shall also be sent to all members of the Membership Sub-Committee. By attachment to the agenda at any monthly meeting, details of Applications received after the Schedule has been issued may be included for consideration by the General Committee.
At the meeting of the General Committee, the Honorary Secretary shall read out the list of Applications on the Schedule and the Committee may discuss any one or more Applications and may pass them for referral to the Membership Sub Committee, with or without comment, or may reject the Application out of hand.
(d) As soon as possible after each monthly meeting of the General Committee and in accordance with Rule 34, the Honorary Secretary shall forthwith inform the Convenor of the Membership Sub-Committee of any changes, additions, comments or deletions that have been applied by the General Committee to the content of the Schedule and shall ensure that all members of the Membership Sub-Committee receive copies of the updated Schedule and any additional associated Application Forms.
The Membership Sub-Committee shall meet as soon as possible after each General Committee Meeting at which Applications have been considered. The Membership Sub-Committee shall discuss each Application and may either approve the Application or defer it for further investigation and/or consideration.
(e) Following consideration by the Membership Sub-Committee, a copy of the Schedule amended to show only those Applications which have been approved by the Membership Sub-Committee shall forthwith be displayed on a conspicuous part of the Club premises and where practicable, posted in the Members’ section of the Club web site for a period of at least fourteen days.
(f) In the event of the Membership Sub-Committee deciding that any Application should be deferred, the reasons for the deferment shall be reported to the next meeting of the General Committee for its final decision on whether or not to allow the deferred Application to be restored into the election process and to be included on that month’s displayed Schedule. Every decision to allow or reject the continued processing of a deferred Application shall be by way of an individual secret ballot at the General Committee using the criteria of one black ball in four for rejection.
(g) At the end of such fourteen-day period, a secret ballot shall take place for election at the next meeting of the General Committee. Eight members of the General Committee (including the Officers) shall be a quorum at the meeting at which such ballot takes place and one black ball in four shall exclude. Any candidate rejected in such ballot cannot be nominated again for election until the expiration of twelve months and if again rejected, shall be ineligible for election.
(h) Application Forms that relate to an entry on a current Schedule may be inspected in the Club Office by any Member or Associate. Any Member or Associate wishing to submit comment on any Application may do so in strict confidence either to the Honorary Secretary or to a Flag Officer. Such comments can be written or verbal. The identity of any Member or Associate who has submitted a comment shall not be revealed to any other Officer, Member or Associate without prior written consent having been given.
Without revealing the identity of the Member or Associate who has submitted a comment, the content thereof shall be reported with full confidentiality to the members of the Sub-Committee in sufficient time to allow it to be reflected in their assessment as they may deem to be appropriate.
In these circumstances, the Chair of the Sub-Committee may, at his sole discretion and notwithstanding Rule 19(g) above, remove the Application from the Schedule to be considered at the next General Committee meeting so that the Application can be reconsidered by the Sub-Committee at its next meeting.
20.Each new Member and Associate shall be notified of their election and supplied with a copy of the Rules and By-Laws of the Club by the Honorary Secretary.
21.The appropriate Entrance Fee and Subscription must be paid within one month from the date of election, otherwise the election shall be void, unless the delay is justified to the satisfaction of the General Committee.
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
22.All Members and Associates shall carry Membership cards while on the premises of the Club.
23. ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS & CAPITAL SURCHARGES
(a) Entrance Fees
The Annual General Meeting shall fix the amount of the Entrance Fee to be paid by the various categories of Members or Associates and in each case, the amount so fixed shall continue to be the entrance fee for that Category until it shall have been altered by a subsequent Annual General Meeting or by a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of altering it.
(b) Annual Subscriptions
The Annual General Meeting shall fix the amounts of the Annual Subscriptions to be paid by the various categories of Members and Associates and in each case the amount so fixed shall continue to be the Annual Subscription for that Category until it shall have been altered by a subsequent Annual General Meeting or by a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of altering it.
(c) Capital Surcharge
The Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called especially for the purpose may if it is deemed necessary in the interests of the Club impose upon all or any categories of Members or Associates and on such terms as it may decide a capital surcharge in respect of any year.
(d) Amounts
The amounts of all such Entrance Fees, Subscriptions and Capital Surcharges shall be set out in Schedule Five to these Rules and shall be determined by the Members in General Meeting
24.The first annual subscription and where applicable the entrance fee, shall be payable on election.
All subsequent annual subscriptions shall be payable in advance on the first day of January in each year as provided in Schedule Five hereto, or in such instalments and with such additional charges thereon as the General Committee may from time to time decide.
UNPAID SUBSCRIPTIONS
25.Any Member or Associate whose current subscription or the appropriate instalment thereof is unpaid after four weeks from the date on which it is due, shall not use the Club premises or take part in any debate or proceeding of the Club, or vote at any Meeting or take part in any Club race, until the subscription including all balance thereof and all other sums owed to the Club have been paid. The General Committee may direct that a list of Members and Associates whose subscriptions remain unpaid be posted in the Clubhouse.
The General Committee is under statutory obligation to include in the General Committee minutes a list of the names of Members or Associates whose Annual Subscription is outstanding at each 31 March.
After an opportunity has been given for explanation, such defaulter may at the discretion of the General Committee be removed from the Club Membership or Associateship.
OFFICERS, COMMITTEE AND MANAGEMENT
26.The General Committee of the Club shall consist of a Commodore, a Vice-Commodore, and a Rear-Commodore, who shall be Flag Officers, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, an Honorary Sailing Secretary and 12 elected members. No Member may stand for election unless they have been a Member for at least three years. The Flag Officers, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, and the Honorary Sailing Secretary shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting by the general body of Members and shall hold office until the next succeeding Annual General Meeting. The twelve elected members of the General Committee shall also be elected at each Annual General Meeting and shall retire by rota as follows: Each of the twelve shall be elected initially to serve for a period of two years, subject to what is provided below.
At each Annual General Meeting, each of the six members who had served but who did not retire in the previous year shall retire, and four of their number shall be eligible for re-election. The two members having the longest continuous service shall not be eligible for re-election for the next two years. In the event of their being less than six who did not retire by rota in the previous year (either from resignation, early retirement, promotion to Officer, or whatever) the number shall be made up to six, by adding the other member or members with the longest continuous service at that time. Continuous service shall include previous service as an Officer. In the event of equal seniority and a failure to reach agreement amongst those concerned, the issue shall be decided by lot. The election to fill vacancies in the number of elected members of General Committee shall be by ballot. In this ballot, the votes of any Member who has not voted for the same number of candidates as there are vacancies shall not be taken into consideration.
Flag Officers, the Honorary Secretary, and the Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-Officio members of all Sub-Committees.
27.The name of each candidate for election to the General Committee together with the names of their Proposer and seconder, shall be given to the Honorary Secretary in writing and shall be posted on the Club notice-board at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting. The notice calling the Annual General Meeting shall contain a list of the existing General Committee, with the dates at which its members retire and a note of their attendances during the past two years. In the case of any vacancy occurring in the General Committee, the General Committee may at its discretion co-opt a successor until the next Annual General Meeting. The number of successors so co-opted in any year shall not exceed one third of the members duly elected at an Annual General Meeting.
28.The General Committee shall meet once a month and at such other times as may be determined for the conduct of current business and the management of the Club. At such meetings eight shall form a quorum and the Commodore, Vice-Commodore, or Rear-Commodore shall preside, or in their absence a chairman shall be appointed by the members of the General Committee then present. The General Committee shall have control of the finances of the Club and, for the avoidance of doubt, shall have the power to raise or borrow any sum or sums of money for the purposes of the Club and on behalf of the Club and secure repayment thereof in any manner which they see fit, whether by charge upon any or all assets of the Club, both real or personal, present or future or otherwise; and power to engage, control and dismiss Club employees, to fix the prices of refreshments and to have such administrative and financial powers as may be necessary to achieve properly the object of the Club in accordance with these Rules and with the provisions of any relevant statutory requirements. They may appoint sub-committees, not necessarily composed of members of the General Committee. Such Sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the General Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the General Committee and subject to the approval of the General Committee shall have the power to co-opt members. Subject to the approval of the General Committee, appointments to Sub-Committees may include Associates.
The vote of the majority shall decide all questions, except as provided by Rule 19, and where there is an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to their own.
GENERAL MEETINGS
29.The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of November in each year, on such date as the General Committee shall decide, to receive the Annual Report and Financial Statement, to elect the Flag Officers, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Sailing Secretary and the elected members of the General Committee, to appoint Auditors and to transact such other business of the Club as may be regularly brought before it. A Special General Meeting may be held at such times as the General Committee considers necessary for the purpose of transacting the business put before it. The Honorary Secretary shall at any time, on receiving a requisition signed by at least fifteen Members, summon a Special General Meeting of the Club. At all Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings fifteen shall form a quorum. The Senior Flag Officer present shall take the chair at all such meetings of the Club. In the event of all Flag Officers being absent, the Members present shall elect one of their number to take the chair. The vote of the majority shall decide all questions, except as provided by Rule 45, and where there is an equality of votes the Chairman shall have an additional casting vote.
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
30.Notice of each Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Club shall be sent to each member of the Club entitled under Rule 16(c) to attend at least fourteen days before the meeting and shall state the business to be transacted thereat.
HONORARY SECRETARY
31.The Honorary Secretary shall keep a Register of Members, Minutes of proceedings of the General Committee and of Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings and other records of the Club. All correspondence must be laid before the General Committee and any business requiring an immediate decision shall be dealt with in consultation with the Flag Officers. Decisions so made shall be reported at the next meeting of the General Committee.
HONORARY TREASURER
32.The Honorary Treasurer shall keep correct accounts and books showing the financial affairs and receipts and disbursements of the Club. A report shall be made on the state of the Club’s finances at each monthly meeting of the General Committee. At the Annual General Meeting of the Club a Statement of Accounts and Balance Sheet shall be submitted, properly audited by a qualified Auditor appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting. The date of the end of the financial year of the Club shall be the thirty-first day of August in each calendar year.
HONORARY SAILING SECRETARY & SAILING SUB-COMMITTEE
33.The General Committee at its first meeting in each year shall appoint eight Members and/or Associates of the Club to act as a Sailing Sub-Committee, of which three members shall form a quorum. The Honorary Sailing Secretary shall be an ex-Officio member and the Convenor of the Sailing Sub-Committee. All correspondence, notices and matters pertaining to sailing - local or otherwise - must be passed to the Honorary Sailing Secretary to be dealt with by the Sailing Sub-Committee. The Sailing Sub-Committee shall arrange the season's programme of races and cruises with appropriate prizes and submit these to the General Committee. The Sailing Sub-Committee shall deal with all matters connected with the setting of courses, laying of marks, nomination of battery officers, repairs and maintenance of the battery and all sailing equipment, including Club boats and gear and shall hear all protests in accordance with the Sailing Rules of the Club. Subject to the approval of the General Committee, the Sailing Sub-Committee shall have power to co-opt members who may include Associates and to form further Sub-Committees to deal with special matters or events.
MEMBERSHIP SUB-COMMITTEE
34.The General Committee at its first meeting in each Club year shall appoint not fewer than six Members to act as the Membership Sub-Committee together with the Flag Officers, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer. The appointed members of the Sub-Committee shall include Members who have previously served as Flag Officers and may include two or more Members who currently serve, or who have previously served on the General Committee. In either case, a nominated Member must have achieved at least two full Club years of service on the General Committee. It shall nominate a Convenor for the Sub-Committee.
Whenever meetings are convened, five shall form a quorum.
The Membership Sub-Committee shall have the following duties:
(a) To meet at least two times per annum and make recommendations to the General Committee including a report to as to the current state of membership in each Category of membership.
(b) Apart from convened meetings under (a) above, at any time when Applications have been received and as soon as they have been recorded on the monthly Schedule of Applications with copies issued to each member of the Sub-Committee, the Honorary Secretary shall through the auspices of the Convenor request that at least five members of the Sub-Committee meet to consider each Application on its merits together with any documentation or verbally submitted comment that has been provided. They shall inform themselves on the merits of each Application and shall mark approval or otherwise on each application for the consideration of the General Committee in accordance with Rule 19.
SAILING RULES
35.The Sailing Rules of the Club shall be the Racing Rules of Sailing, subject to such Sailing Rules, Instructions and Conditions as may be made by the Sailing Sub-Committee from time to time in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing.
LIABILITY
36.Members and Associates of the Club, their guests and visitors may use the Club premises, and any other facilities of the Club, but do so entirely at their own risk and thereby impliedly accept that:
(a) The club will not accept any liability for any damage to or loss of property belonging to Members and Associates, their guests or visitors to the Club.
(b) The Club will not accept any liability for personal injury arising out of the use of the Club premises, and any other facilities of the Club, or out of participation in any race organised by the Club, whether sustained by Members and Associates, their guests or visitors, or caused by the Members and Associates, their guests or visitors, whether or not such damage or injury could have been attributed to or was occasioned by the neglect, default or negligence of any of the Officers, Committee or servants of the Club.
(c) Before inviting any guests or visitors onto the Club premises or to participate in events organised by the Club, Members and Associates will draw their attention to this Rule.
YACHT REGISTER
37.Yachts belonging to the Members and Associates of the Club shall be registered in a book kept for that purpose by the Honorary Sailing Secretary
DAY VISITORS
38.Any person may be introduced to the Club by a Member or an Associate as a visitor for the day on not more than six occasions in any period of twelve months in addition to the occasions on which that person may be introduced as a visitor under
Rule 39.
SAILING VISITORS
39.In addition to the six days specified in Rule 38, any person may be introduced by the General Committee or Sailing Sub-Committee acting through any Flag Officer, or the Honorary Secretary, or the Honorary Sailing Secretary, or by any Member or Associate as a visitor to the Club for any number of days not exceeding 14 in any period of 12 months on any occasion when that person is attending a regatta, race or series of races, held, starting or finishing at the Club or when that person is cruising in the Belfast Lough area on board a yacht from a home port outside Northern Ireland.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR GUESTS
40. (a) The guest of a Member or Associate shall not be admitted to the Club premises except in the company of a Member or Associate.
(b) The Member or Associate shall immediately on admission of the guest to the Club premises enter their own name and the name of the guest in a book kept for that purpose, and which shall show the date of each visit.
(c) A Member or Associate shall be responsible for the guest strictly observing the Rules of the Club and for the conduct of the guest whilst on the Club premises and for any liability arising therefrom. The Member or Associate shall not leave the Club premises before the guest and a guest of a Member or Associate shall not be supplied with intoxicating liquor in the Club premises unless upon the invitation and in the company of the Member or Associate.
(d) Guests under the age of 18 years are not permitted in the Back Bar or at or near the Main Bar at any time, and they may not remain on any part of the Club premises after 10.00 p.m. In addition they may not be in the Main Lounge after 9.00pm except to use it for the purposes of gaining access from one part of the Club premises to another.
RESIGNATIONS
41.Members or Associates wishing to resign from the Club shall give notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary before 31st January of the year in which the resignation is to take effect unless there are exceptional circumstances in which this is not possible. Members or Associates failing to give such notice shall be liable for the current year’s subscription unless the General Committee are satisfied that there was good reason for such failure.
CLUB PROPERTY
42.Club property must not be taken from the Club premises except as provided in the Club By-Laws. Any Member or Associate damaging or destroying any property of the Club, by accident or otherwise, shall promptly make-up the loss if required by the General Committee. If the loss be caused by a visitor, the introducing Member or Associate shall likewise make it good.
SUGGESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
43.Suggestions or complaints shall be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary, who shall place them before the General Committee.
CONDUCT
44 (a) In the event of a member of the Club or staff having reason to complain about the conduct of a member either in or out of the Club premises they shall send that complaint in writing to the Honorary Secretary. Such conduct may include offensive or intimidatory behaviour and/or acts which have the potential to injure or discredit the character of the Club. As an exception to this rule serving officers of the Club may convey any complaint they have against another member to the Honorary Secretary orally and the Honorary Secretary shall then make a written record of the complaint. Any complaint about a member received from someone who is not a member of the Club shall likewise be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary who, if it is oral, shall commit it to writing.
(b) The Honorary Secretary shall transmit such written complaint in the first instance to the Rear Commodore who will appoint an investigating panel of two made up of a serving officer and another senior member of the Club. This panel shall use all reasonable endeavours to investigate the complaint thoroughly. Such endeavours shall entail as a minimum interviewing the member subject to the complaint in addition to any witnesses deemed by the panel to be relevant. When the investigation is complete the panel shall prepare a written report for presentation to the General Committee.
(c) At the next General Committee meeting the Committee shall consider the report and determine what action, if any, should be taken. If it is deemed appropriate a sanction may be applied which can include the suspension or expulsion of the member subject to the complaint.
(d) The member subject to the complaint shall have the right, should they so wish, to appear before the General Committee at that meeting to put their case and/or explain their actions. This right will be notified to the member in advance of the meeting by the investigating panel and the member must advise the Honorary Secretary as to whether they wish to attend no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting.
(e) The decision of the General Committee on the complaint or, as the case may be, on an appeal to it on an election under Rule 44(f), shall be communicated in writing to the member subject to the complaint by the Rear Commodore within one week of the date of the General Committee meeting, or if it is not possible to do so within one week as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(f) The member subject to the complaint has the right of appeal against the General Committee decision. If the member has not exercised his right under Rule 44(d) to appear before the General Committee this appeal may, if he so elects, be in the first instance to the General Committee itself. In all other cases, including where the member has appealed to the General Committee and it has issued a decision on that appeal, this will be to an Appeal Panel constituted as set out in Rule 44(k). Any such appeal, together if appropriate with the election to have the appeal heard in the first instance by the General Committee, shall be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary within two weeks of the date on the notice of decision.
(g) On receipt of any complaint under Rule 44(a) or if they otherwise become aware of any instance where the conduct of a member, whether in or out of the Club premises, has been such as, in their opinion, to injure or discredit the character of the Club, the Flag officers, after a thorough examination, shall have the power to suspend that member until the next meeting of the General Committee. At that meeting, and subsequently, Rules 44(c), (d), (e) and (f) shall apply.
(h) If, having completed the procedures outlined above the General Committee considers it appropriate that the member subject to the complaint should leave the Club, the option of resigning shall be made available to the member for a period of fourteen days following the date on the notice of the Committee’s decision. If written notice of resignation is not received by the Honorary Secretary by that time, the member concerned shall be deemed to have been expelled from the Club without any further notice. Upon such expulsion the member concerned shall forfeit all rights or claims upon the Club or its property.
(I) A member expelled shall become persona non-grata and shall have no right to a refund of any entrance fee or subscription already paid and shall continue to be liable for any debt due to the Club. They will be ineligible for admission to the Club as a guest of a member.
(j) A member suspended under this Rule shall not be eligible for nomination for election to the General Committee for a period of three years from the completion of their period of suspension. During the period of their suspension they will be ineligible for admission to the Club as a guest of another member.
(k) An Appeal Panel created under Rule 44(f) shall be convened by the most recent past Vice-Commodore, or if that person is a member of the General Committee or is unavailable, then by their predecessor, and shall consist of three of the most recent past Flag Officers and three senior members of the Club who are not serving members of the General Committee and who are not past Flag Officers.
The appeal shall be heard within two weeks of receipt of the notice of appeal and election and the recommendation of the appeal panel shall be reported to the General Committee in writing within one week of the hearing.
Whilst the General Committee will retain the final decision-making power it will not, without due cause recorded in the minutes of the relevant meeting, set aside the recommendations of the Appeal Panel.
(l) In the event of an appeal, either to the General Committee or an Appeal Panel, the final decision of the General Committee shall be notified to the member concerned in writing by the Honorary Secretary within one week of the date of the General Committee meeting at which that final decision is reached
ALTERATION OF RULES
45.The Rules of the Club may be altered, rescinded or added to at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose. Any proposal for such alteration, recision or addition may be made by the General Committee or by any fifteen or more Members, who shall give at least thirty days written notice thereof to the Honorary Secretary. At the Annual General Meeting or the Special General Meeting, such proposal shall be effective and stand as part of the Rules of the Club if seconded and if not less than the proportion of three to two of the Members vote in favour of the alteration, recision or addition. The notice of any meeting at which any alteration, recision or addition is to be considered must state clearly the proposed alteration, recision or addition. The content of all alterations to the Rules, By-Laws and Schedules shall be minuted in full in the minutes of such Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
ALTERATION OF BY-LAWS
46.The General Committee may make such alterations, recisions, or additions to the By-Laws of the Club as are consistent with the Rules of the Club. Any such alteration, recision or addition shall be submitted to the next Annual General Meeting for confirmation and unless confirmed shall thereupon cease to have effect.
CHARGES
47.A tariff of charges for private use of rooms in the Clubhouse and for refreshments shall be arranged from time to time by the General Committee. Every Member and Associate shall, before leaving the Club, pay for all charges incurred, whether on their own account or for a visitor. A Member or Associate shall discharge any other account as may be issued by the Club office not later than seven days from the receipt of the same.
NAMES AND ADDRESSES
48.Each Member and Associate shall notify the Honorary Secretary of any change in their address and any notice posted to the last known address of such Member or Associate shall be deemed to be good notice and to have been received by them in the normal course of post.
An alphabetical list by Category of the names and addresses of every official, member and Associate of the Club shall be kept on the premises of the Club.
RECOVERY OF DEBTS
49.The Honorary Treasurer for the time being shall be authorised to sue on behalf of the Club when directed by the General Committee so to do, and the Minutes of the meeting at which such direction shall be given shall when confirmed be evidence of such authority.
INTOXICATING LIQUOR
50.No member of the General Committee and no manager or servant employed by the Club shall have any personal interest in the supply of intoxicating liquors therein or in the profits arising from such supply.
No person shall be paid at the expense of the Club any commission, percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchases of intoxicating liquor by the Club.
No persons shall directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of intoxicating liquor by or on behalf of the Club, or Members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the Club as a whole.
The hours during which intoxicating liquor may be supplied on the Club premises are as set out in Schedule Two to these Rules and a copy of that Schedule printed in plain type shall be exhibited in a conspicuous part of the Club premises.
The hours during which intoxicating liquor may be supplied on the Club premises may be extended by the General Committee on not more in any year than fifty-two occasions duly authorised by the District Commander for Ards & North Down.
Intoxicating liquor shall not be supplied:-
(a) to persons who are not Members or Associates of the Club for consumption outside the premises of the Club.
(b) to Members or Associates of the Club for consumption outside the Club except where the liquor is supplied in such quantities and during such hours, being hours within the hours specified in the fourth paragraph of this rule and on such days as the District Commander for Ards & North Down may authorise in writing.
(c) to any person under the age of eighteen years.
GRATUITIES
51.Gratuities may be given, at the discretion of members, in recognition of service provided in the Dining Room and Bar. Members may also wish to contribute to a fund for the benefit of other staff not directly involved in service such funds to be disbursed as agreed by the General Committee.
INTERPRETATION OF RULES AND BY-LAWS
52.In the Rules and By-Laws of the Club, unless the context otherwise requires, the masculine shall include the feminine, the singular the plural and the plural the singular.
The General Committee's interpretation of any doubtful part of the Rules or By-Laws shall be binding on every Member or Associate until set aside by a General Meeting.
CLUB PROPERTY AND TRUSTEES
53.The property and effects of the Club shall be vested in Trustees in trust for the Members for the time being.
The Trustees (of whom there shall be not less than three) shall be selected by a General Meeting of the Club and, on a vacancy occurring among the Trustees, a new Trustee shall be appointed by the General Committee, such selection to be confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting. The Trustees shall remain in office until death or resignation, or until a General Meeting shall think proper to remove them or any of them.
BY-LAWS AND SCHEDULES OF THE
ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB
REVISED 2019
SCHEDULE ONE
YACHT CLUBS WITH RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS
SCHEDULE TWO
HOURS FOR SUPPLY OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR
SCHEDULE THREE
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
SCHEDULE FOUR
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
SCHEDULE FIVE
ENTRANCE FEES, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CAPITAL SURCHARGES
BY - LAWS
HOURS OF OPENING
B1. The Clubhouse shall be opened at 10.00 a.m. daily for admission of Members and Associates. There shall be no admission to the Clubhouse after midnight.
B2. The Clubhouse shall be closed at midnight, except as otherwise approved by the General Committee. The names of any Members and Associates in the Clubhouse after midnight will be entered in a book, which book may be produced at the next General Committee Meeting and any offending Member or Associate may be asked to provide an explanation for breaking this By-Law.
DOGS
B3. Except for guide dogs, dogs or other animals shall not be allowed in the Clubhouse.
ASSOCIATES
B4. The General Committee may on any occasion and without notice, close the Club or any part thereof to Associates.
MEMBERS PROPERTY
B5. Persons leaving property in the Clubhouse or grounds do so at their own risk.
RESERVATION OF CLUB ROOMS
B6. Club Rooms may be reserved on application to the Honorary Secretary for private parties. Two days' notice must be given. The Honorary Secretary may refer such applications as considered necessary to the General Committee.
BILLIARDS
B7. A Junior Associate under the age of 18 years shall not use the Billiard Room unless accompanied by a Member or Associate over the age of 21 years.
SERVICE BAR
B8. No Member, Associate or visitor (other than members of the General Committee on Club business) shall enter behind any of the bar counters.
CLUB LIBRARY
B9. Application for the loan of books from the Club Library must be made to the Club Librarian, who will record the date of withdrawal and return in a book kept for that purpose.
GUESTS
B10. A Member or Associate cannot invite more than six guests on any one occasion without the consent of the Honorary Secretary.
BOAT STORAGE
B11. Members' boats may be laid up for winter storage in the Club grounds at the discretion of the General Committee. Applications must be made in advance to the Honorary Secretary and be accompanied by the amount of such charges as may be decided upon from time to time by the General Committee.
MOBILE TELEPHONES AND USE OF WIFI
B12. Mobile telephone conversations are not permitted in any area of the Club other than the hall, stairs and landings. Other devices may be used in area within the Club so long as their use does not disturb other members. In particular the sound must be turned off or only accessed by means of headphones.
DRESS
B13. The Dress Code for all areas of the Club and for all events will be laid down by the General Committee and Members notified through the use of the Club Noticeboard.
CHEQUES
B14. A cheque cashing facility may be available up to £100 and only to Members and Associates.
PHOTOGRAPHS
B15. The taking of photographs within the Club premises is not permitted without prior permission. In addition, no photographs may be used in any publication without permission being granted. Requests for approval for the taking of photographs, or for publication should be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN
B16. All children under 12 years of age, admitted to the Club premises or grounds must be under the direct and personal supervision of a Member or Guest at all times.
SMOKING
B17. Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, is not permitted within the Clubhouse.
SCHEDULE ONE
RULE 12
Recognised Yacht Clubs with which the Club has agreed arrangements for reciprocal Membership are: -
Royal Cruising Club
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht Club
Royal Nassau Sailing Club
Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club
Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club
Royal St George Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Aberdeen Boat Club, Hong Kong
Howth Yacht Club
Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
Royal Solent Yacht Club
SCHEDULE TWO
RULE 50
The hours during which intoxicating liquor may be supplied on the Club premises are:-
(a) on Mondays to Saturdays (inclusive), other than Good Friday or Christmas Day from 11.30 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
(b) on Good Friday from 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
(c) on Sunday (not being Christmas Day) from 12.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
(d) on Christmas Day from 12.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m.
SCHEDULE THREE
RULE 14
Child Protection Policy
We in Royal Ulster Yacht Club (“the Club”) are committed to a practice which protects children from harm. Members, Associates, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers in the Club accept and recognise their responsibilities under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 about safeguarding children and will endeavour to carry these out by:
(a) having an awareness of the issues which cause children harm.
(b) adopting child protection guidelines for Members, Associates, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers.
(c) providing information about child protection and good practice to Members, Associates, children, parents, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers.
(d) sharing information about concerns with children, parents and others who need to know.
(e) following carefully the procedures for the recruitment and selection of instructors, coaches, volunteers/helpers and the management of the Club.
(f) being involved in training.
(g) keeping child protection policies under regular review.
(h) providing information as required to the General Committee of the Club and to the Royal Yachting Association (Northern Ireland Council).
SCHEDULE FOUR
RULE 14
Code of Conduct for Members, ASSOCIATES, Instructors, Coaches and Volunteers/helpers
These guidelines have been produced to help protect anyone working with young people in the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and should be followed at all times. If you have any queries regarding these you should contact any member of the General Committee or the person responsible for Child Protection.
1. Always be publicly open when working with the younger person. Avoid situations where you and an individual younger person are completely unobserved.
2. If physical contact is necessary, it should be done openly. Care is needed as it is difficult to maintain hand positions when providing manual support if the younger person is constantly moving. Some parents are becoming increasingly sensitive about touching younger persons and their views should always be carefully considered.
3. Where possible allow parents of younger persons to take responsibility for them in changing rooms. If groups are to be supervised in changing rooms, always ensure that adults work in pairs and that gender is appropriate. If travelling to another venue is necessary, make sure that verbal (preferably written) permission is given by the parents. Parents should be asked to ensure that younger persons are collected on time.
4. Where mixed groups of younger persons travel to another venue to represent the Club they should always be accompanied by at least one male and one female adult.
5. All should respect the rights and dignity and work of all and treat everyone with equality.
6. All should place the well-being and safety of the younger person above the development of performance. They should follow all guidelines laid down by the RYA 6. (including the instructor/pupil ratio) and be adequately insured. Always make sure that you are working at a level commensurate with your instructor qualifications. If you are proved negligent, the Club’s insurance may be invalidated.
7. Members and Associates working with younger persons should hold appropriate qualifications in instruction, coaching, leadership, officiating etc.
8. Adults should ensure that the activities which they direct or advocate are appropriate to the age, maturity, and ability of the participant e.g. they should not break rules on suitable participation for age groups. Training activities should include clear progressions, and instructors should keep a clear record of all activity undertaken, clearly planning for future activity. It is advisable to keep a record of activity in a book kept for that purpose.
Make sure that all participants know to inform the instructor of any injury or illness before, during or after the activity.
9. Adults should always promote the positive aspects of sailing and never condone rules violations, bad sportsmanship or use of prohibited substances.
10. Adults should consistently display high standards of personal behaviour and appearance as well as appropriate dress, language, and respect for equipment and facilities. It is not acceptable for adults responsible for younger persons to consume alcohol. Adults should never encourage younger persons to drink alcohol.
11. Adults should never overtly criticise participants’ or officials’ judgements or use language or actions which may cause the younger person to lose self-esteem or confidence.
All Members and Associates must also be aware that as a general rule it does not make sense to:
- Spend amounts of time alone with younger persons away from others.
- Take younger persons alone on car journeys, however short.
- Take younger persons to your home.
If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge of someone in charge in the Club and/or a person with parental responsibility for the younger person.
Instructors and volunteers/helpers should be aware that normal car insurance does not cover them for transporting younger persons to and from other venues.
All instructors and volunteers/helpers should try to be on time; and inform an appropriate person if ill or unable to attend an activity.
Members and Associates should NEVER!
- Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games including horseplay.
- Share a room with a younger person.
- Permit or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.
- Permit younger persons to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
- Make sexually suggestive comments to younger persons, even in fun.
- Allow allegations made by a younger person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
- Do things of a personal nature that a younger person can do for themselves.
- Agree to meet a younger person on your own.
If you accidentally hurt a younger person, or cause distress in any manner, or the younger person appears to respond in a sexual manner to your actions, or misunderstands, or misinterprets something you have done, report the incident to a colleague supported by a brief written report of the incident as soon as possible. Parents/carers should be informed of the incident.
EMERGENCY ACTION/FIRST AID
All Members, Associates, instructors and volunteers/helpers should be prepared with an action plan in the event of an emergency.
This will include:
- Access to First Aid Equipment
- Telephone contact if the participant is a minor
- Telephone contact to the Emergency Services
All accidents, injuries and any untoward event should be recorded in the activity record book along with a witness statement if thought necessary.
An attendance book must be kept for each recognised club activity with the presence of each participant noted appropriately. An incident book must be used to record accidents, injuries and any untoward event.
Training activities outside the usual recognised Club activities will not be covered by Club insurance if the details have not been notified in writing to the General Committee in advance. It is the responsibility of the parents to check that the Training activity is covered by the necessary insurance
SCHEDULE FIVE
RULE 23
ENTRANCE FEES [Rule 23 (a)]
Inport Members: Nil
Inport Associates: Nil
Outport Associates: Nil
Temporary Associates: Nil
Intermediate Associates: Nil
Junior Associates: Nil
No entrance fee shall be payable upon a change of status from one Category of Membership or Associateship to another except:
1. In the case of a Temporary Associate applying for Membership when the Entrance Fee appropriate to the proposed Category shall be payable.
or
2. In the case of an Intermediate Associate seeking transfer to become an Inport Member and whose total Subscription payments since joining are less than the current Entrance Fee for an Inport Member. In those circumstances, a retrospective Entrance Fee shall be payable equal to the difference between the current Entrance Fee for an Inport Member and the applying Intermediate Associate’s total Subscription payments up to the date of the proposed transfer becoming effective.
On being elected to membership, new Members or Associates shall pay the appropriate Entrance Fee and a Subscription based on a one twelfth proportion of the relevant Annual Subscription for each calendar month of achieved membership.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS [Rule 23 (b)]
A surcharge of ten percent of the relevant amount will be applied if by 1st February either the subscription has not been paid in full, or the terms of a scheme to settle by instalments as decided by General Committee under Rule 24 have not been complied with.
Single Members
Inport Members - £570
Honorary Members - NIL
Senior Members: Continuously Members for twenty-five years - £364
Continuously Members for twenty years - £485
Life Members - NIL
Inport Associates - £285
Senior Associates See below under Closed Categories. [Rule 9].
Life Associates See below under Closed Categories. [Rule 10].
Outport Associates - £103
Temporary Associates: As may be determined in each case by the General Committee
[Rule 12].
Intermediate Associates: The following phased tiered percentage rates of the Inport Member Subscription shall be applied to Intermediate Associates for the membership year in accordance with their age as on 1st January of such membership year:
Age 23 - Twelve and one-half percent
Age 24 - Fifteen percent
Age 25 - Seventeen and one-half percent
Age 26 - Twenty percent
Age 27 - Twenty-five percent
Age 28 - Thirty percent
Age 29 - Thirty-seven and one-half percent
Age 30 - Forty-five percent
Age 31 - Fifty-five percent
Age 32 - Sixty-five percent
Age 33 - Seventy-five percent
Age 34 - Eighty-five percent
Junior Associates - £68
Family Membership - NIL [Rule 3]
CLOSED CATEGORIES [Rules 9 & 10]:
Senior Associates
Ladies over 60 with 20 years continuous membership at 1 January 2001: - £143
Ladies over 65 with 20 years continuous membership at 1 January 2001: - £85
Life Associates - NIL
Members with spouses or de facto partners (as defined in Rule 8) who are also members (“Couples”)
Inport Member and an Inport Associate Spouse/Partner jointly - £758
Senior Member who has been continuously a Member for 25 years
and an Inport Associate Spouse/Partner jointly - £576
and a Senior Associate Spouse/Partner over 60 jointly - £500
and a Senior Associate Spouse/Partner over 65 jointly - £433
Senior Member who has been continuously a Member for 20 years and an Inport Associate Spouse/Partner jointly - £683
Intermediate Associate and a Spouse/Partner who is also a member – their joint subscription shall be set by taking the lesser of (a) the sum of what their subscriptions would be if they were not a couple and (b) one hundred and thirty three percent of the higher of the two subscriptions they would have paid if they were not a couple
Life Member and an Associate Spouse/Partner jointly - The same subscription as they would have paid if they had not been a couple.
Outport Associate and an Outport Associate Spouse/Partner - £136
LIFE MEMBERSHIP [Rule 7]
As may be determined by the General Committee.
CAPITAL SURCHARGE [Rule 23 (c)]
As may be determined under the provisions of Rule 23(c).
NOTES AND REVISIONS
Informative and clarification Notes
(Not part of formal content of the Rules)
Rule 52 provides that interpretations by the General Committee shall be binding until set aside by a General Meeting.
Interpretation of Rules:
Rule 6
(Interpretation approved by the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer on 12 January 2010)
Informative:
The reference to being aged 65 relates to the age of the Member at the present time.
Section (a) is an ‘open’ Category currently available to Inport Members who can satisfy the stated criteria.
The intention of Section (b) of the Rule was to ‘ring-fence’ those Members who at 1 January 2001 had already acquired the status of the ‘old’ category of Senior Member. It became a closed category from that date. However, Members who already satisfy the criteria of section (b) remain entitled to any lower level of Subscription appropriate to that category as set out in Schedule Five.
Rule 6 might more clearly be stated:
SENIOR MEMBERS
6(a)Senior Members shall be Inport Members, who have now attained the age of 65 years and who at the current time have achieved continuous membership of the Club for the previous twenty years,
OR
6(b) Senior Members shall be Members who under the ‘old’ Rules in force up to 1 January 2001 had at that date already qualified to become Senior Members in the ‘old’ Category as was then available to Members who at that time had already achieved over ten years of previous continuous membership.
Senior Associates shall be eligible to transfer to this Category under the provisions of Rule 15.
The availability of such a transfer is intended to allow Senior Associates (ie Senior Ladies) to apply to become Senior Members with all of the associated rights including entitlement to attend and vote at General Meetings. However, approval of such a change of Category by the General Committee would carry with it the liability to pay a subscription of 50% or 70% of the Inport Subscription, whereas as Senior Associates they are only liable for 6⅔% or 16⅔%.
Rule 8(b)
(Interpretation made by the General Committee on 20 October 2003)
The General Committee at its meeting on 20 October 2003 determined that the intention of Rule 8(b) is to allow Associateship to continue for existing Inport Associates who become widowed and whose former spouse was an Inport, Senior or Life Member, and where the Associate has not subsequently re-married. It was determined that Rule 8(b) was not intended to allow the category of Inport Associate to be available to former Associates seeking to re-join or to new Applicants seeking to join for the first time. (Approved by AGM 29 November 2003)