The River Club (BMYC) Rules – (2013 version)
1. Name
The club shall be called “The British Motor Yacht Club” and shall also be known as “The River Club Thames Ditton (BMYC)”.
2. Objectives
To encourage and foster the use of the river as a safe sporting environment.
To provide a social club for members.
To provide information and facilities to promote river activities.
3. Constitution.
The BMYC is a company limited by guarantee whereby every member of the Club other than an honorary or temporary member, on becoming elected as a member assumes a liability of £1 should the Club be wound up or dissolved.
4. Composition.
The Club shall consist of
(1) Flag Officers, Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, if required,
(2) Officers, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Membership Secretary,
(3) Members, Life Members, Honorary Members, Junior Members (under 18 years of age) and Affiliated Members.
(4) Honorary Members shall be elected by the Club Committee for long service to the Club.
(5) Joint (Family) Membership shall include the members partners and children under 18.
(6) Junior Members shall be under 18 years of age. Junior Members have no voting rights at meetings.
(7) Life Members; the Committee may invite suitable persons to become Life Members provided the number shall not exceed 20. Life Members shall be entitled to privileges of the Club as Full Members thereof.
5. Candidates for Election.
Candidates for membership shall make application in writing and be signed by a proposer and seconder. The application shall be submitted to the Committee for final approval.
6. Members Bound by Rules.
Every member of the Club binds themselves to abide by the Rules, Regulations and by Standing Orders of the Club.
7. Subscriptions.
Subscriptions shall be determined by the Committee and ratified by Members at an AGM or an EGM.
(a)Subscriptions shall be payable from the 1st April or from the date of election and shall cover the period until the following 31st March.
(b) Any Member elected after the15th October shall pay only half of the yearly subscription.
(c) A newly elected Member not paying their subscription by the 31st March shall be liable for the following year’s subscription.
(d) Membership of the Club will automatically cease if a member has not renewed their membership and paid all fees payable to the BMYC within six weeks of them being due.
8. Resignation from the Club.
Any member wishing to resign should inform the Membership Secretary or the Club Secretary before their annual subscription becomes due. Failure to do so will make the member liable for the annual subscription.
9. Bankruptcy.
Any Members who are adjudged bankrupt, or who makes a composition with their creditors, under the provision of any statute, or are convicted of any indictable offence, or pass a cheque to the Club which is dishonored shall ipso facto shall cease to be a member of the Club. Provided that, if their adjudication is annulled or their conviction is set aside or they receive a full pardon, the Committee may restore them to membership as from the date they ceased to be member.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Rule the Committee shall have power to investigate the circumstances of any particular member or proposed member and may in its discretion wholly or partially waiver the forgoing provisions of this Rule.
10. Expulsion and Suspension.
The Committee may caution, suspend, require to resign or expel from the Club any Member whose conduct on the Club premises is such that in the opinion of the Committee be
unsporting or injurious to the character or interests of the Club or in the case of expulsion render them unfit to associate with members of the Club.
The opinion of the Committee as to such conduct be final, provided that no Member shall be cautioned, suspended, required to resign or expelled except by a resolution supported by at least two thirds of the Committee Members present at a meeting to which the person has been invited to attend.
A Member expelled or suspended shall forfeit all provisions of membership and have no right of action against the Club and shall not be entitled to re-enter the Club or be admitted as a guest at any time.
All members of a family may or may not be included in any suspension or expulsion. Any Member seeking or attempting to gain admission for such expelled or suspended Member may thereby find themselves liable to suspension or expulsion.
11. The Administration of the Club.
The general management, conduct and direction of the Club and its premises shall be vested in the Committee. The Committee may make, alter or amend the Standing Orders of the Club from time to time and notice of the same shall be posted on the Club notice board or in the Club’s newsletter and there upon become operative and binding
12. The Committee.
The Club Committee shall consist of the Flag Officers, (Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodores), The Officers, (Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer Honorary Membership Secretary), and nine Members elected from the membership.
13. Election of the Committee.
(a). The Flag Officers shall be elected annually, and be eligible for re-election.
(b). The Club Officers shall be elected annually and can stand for re-election without restriction of length of service.
(c). Ordinary Committee members shall be elected for a period of two years after which they will retire but be eligible for re-election.
(d). Flag Officers, Club Officers, Ordinary Committee Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
(e). The Committee shall have powers to co-opt up to two members if vacancies exist after the Annual General Meeting. These co-opted members shall stand down at the next AGM, but be eligible for election.
(f). A list of retiring members shall be prepared by the Club Secretary and be open to inspection by any Club Member.
(g). Any Club Member may propose a member or members to fill any vacancy on the Committee, Flag Officer or Club Officer by sending their nomination(s) in writing to the Club Secretary at least 14 days before the AGM.
(h). 14 days before an AGM a list of nominations a list so proposed for election shall be sent to members.
(I). No member of the Committee shall receive any payment for their services, but nothing herein containing shall be deemed to prohibit the payment by the Club of any sum to any member of the Committee for their services in exceptional circumstances.
(j). A member of the Committee shall vacate their office:
1. If a receiving order is made against them or they make any arrangement or composition with their creditors;
2. If by notice in writing to the Club Secretary they resign their office.
3. If they cease to be a member of the Club.
4. If they absent themselves for more than half the Committee Meetings held in the year and the Committee resolves that they vacate the Committee.
5. If through medical grounds they are unable to perform the duties of a Committee Member.
14. General Meetings.
(a). The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 31st November.
(b). Not less than 21 days before the AGM the Committee will give notice of the date and time with a list of the retiring officers and members of the Committee and invite nominations to fill the vacancies. A copy of the Club accounts will also be forwarded to Members before the AGM.
(c). Notice of Motions for the AGM must be received by the Hon. Secretary not less than 14 days before the meeting and must be signed by at least 5 Members.
(d). Not less than 7 days before the AGM the Hon. Secretary will send to every Member an Agenda of the business to be transacted together with a list of Nominations and Motions.
(e). The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any Member shall not invalidate the proceedings of the meeting.
(f). The following business shall be transacted at the AGM:
1. The consideration and adoption of the Annual Report.
2. The passing of the accounts and balance sheet of the Club for the past year.
3. The election of the Officers and Committee.
4. The consideration of resolutions proposed by the Committee.
5. The consideration of Notices of Motion.
(g). No business shall be conducted at a General Meeting unless a quorum of Members is present when the meeting proceeds to business; save as herein otherwise provided, 10 Members personally present shall be a quorum.
(h). If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, if convened upon the requisition of Members shall be dissolved; in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the appointed time for the meeting, the Members present shall be a quorum
(I). The Senior Flag Officer present shall act as chair person at every General Meeting of the Club.
(j). If at any meeting a Flag Officer is not present within 15 minutes of the appointed time or is unwilling to act as chair person, the Members present shall choose someone of their number to be chair person.
(k). The chair person may, with the consent of any meeting where a quorum is present (and shall if so directed be the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
When a meeting is adjourned for more than 10 days notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of the original meeting. Save as foresaid, it shall not be necessary to give notice of an adjournment or the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
(l). At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided by a show of hands, unless a poll is ( before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by at least two Members entitled to vote, and unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the chair person that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the minutes of the proceedings shall be conclusive evidence of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favor-of, or against, that resolution.
(m). If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such a manner as the chair person directs, and the results of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting in which the poll was demanded. No poll shall be demanded on the election of the chair person of a meeting or on any question of an adjournment.
(n). With the exception of children included in Full Membership, Affiliated Members and Junior Members, every Member personally present at the meeting shall have one vote. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed.
(o). No Member shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting, unless all monies presently payable by them to the Club have been paid.
15. Extraordinary General Meetings.
The Committee may, whenever they think fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, and an Extraordinary Meeting may be convened by the Hon. Secretary within 7 days of the receipt of a requisition signed by not less than 10 Members specifying the business to be considered.
Subject to the Meeting not being called for the purpose of passing a Special Resolution, (in which case 21 days notice shall be given), 14 days notice at the least specifying the place, the day and time of the Meeting, and, in the case of special business, the general nature of that business shall be given to every Member and the proceedings shall be confined to the matters specified in the notice of the meeting.
16. Meetings of the Club Committee.
At Committee Meetings the senior Flag Officer present shall preside. In the absence of a Flag Officer the Committee shall elect one of their number present.
The Committee shall meet once in each calendar month, or as the Committee shall decide and when ever summoned by a Flag Officer, Hon. Secretary or Hon. Treasurer or on a signed request by 3 members of the Committee.
The Chair person at any meeting shall have the right to vote on any motion as a member and in cases of equality shall have a casting vote.
A quorum for the Committee shall be 3.
17. Sub-Committees.
The Committee may appoint from its members sub-committees any may grant to these sub-committee’s powers as it thinks proper.Flag Officers, the Hon. Secretary, the Hon. Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees and be entitled to vote.
Each sub-committee shall elect its own Secretary who shall prepare a report for submission to the Committee.
If a report of the sub-committee be adopted, its decisions shall thereby become decisions of the Committee.
18. Finances.
All subscriptions, entrance fees shall be paid to the Club Treasurer or Membership Secretary. All other monies shall be paid to the Club Treasurer.
19. Boats Lent or Hired.
As membership of the Club is personal if a boat shall be lent or hired to anyone other than a Club member then the privileges of the Club cannot be exercised by the user.
20. Guests.
(a).Every Member shall be allowed to introduce guests to the Club, but the Member who introduces them must be present and shall in every case be responsible for them in their observance of the Rules and Standing Orders of the Club.
(b).A guest may not attend the Club on more than 6 occasions in any calendar year irrespective of whichever Member introduces them.
(c). All guests must be listed in the Visitors’ Book by their host member.
21. Use of Club address.
The Club address shall not be used by a Member as his address or otherwise for purposes of identification in connection with legal proceedings. The Club shall not be used as an address by any Member in any advertisement, prospectus, business circular, letter or card.
22. Closing of the Club.
The Committee may close the Club premises for such periods as it deems necessary giving notice to Members when ever possible.
23. Liability for property and injury.
No responsibility or liability shall attach to the Club, its Officers or Members in respect of the property of any Member, their guests, or any person which may be lost or damaged on or about the Club premises.
No responsibility or liability shall attach to the Club, its Officers or Members in respect of injury or accident to any Member, their guest or any person which may occur on or about the Club premises or connected with any event arranged by the Club or its Officers or members.
24. Interpretation of the rules.
The interpretation of these Rules shall in cases of any dispute shall be decided by the Committee and its decision shall be final.
In these Rules the word “Member” and “they” shall unless otherwise indicated by the context shall apply to all classes of membership.
25. Alteration of the Rules.
These Rules may be added to or altered by a special resolution passed by a two thirds majority of those present and voting at a General Meeting of which 21 days notice has been given.
26. Rules to be Delivered.
A copy of the Rules of the Club shall be given to every Member or be sent by post to their home addressor be delivered by electronic means.
End (01.01.20)