RULES OF THE MIDDLE NENE SAILING CLUB

1. NAME

The name of the Club shall be the "Middle Nene Sailing Club." Its colours shall be White Ground, Two Red Chevrons and Blue Star. The Club shall be an 'Affiliated Club Member' of the Royal Yachting Association.

2. OBJECTS

 The objects of the club shall be:

a.      To foster the interests of small boat and board sailing and racing

b.      To provide facilities for members for their enjoyment, convenience and safety.

c.      To secure the future of the club for the benefit of its members.

3. MEMBERSHIP

The Club shall consist of a President, Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore Sailing, Rear Commodore House, Rear Commodore Training, Past Commodores, General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Sailing Secretary, Race Secretary, House Secretary, Training Secretary, Harbourmaster, Public Relations Secretary and New Member Representative. In addition there shall be Members. All classes of membership are considered to be Sailing Membership except Social and Angling Only Membership.

4. TERMS OF ADMISSION

Each candidate for membership shall be proposed by a member and seconded by another member. Every proposal shall be in writing and signed by the proposer and seconder, and be made by sending to the Membership Secretary a printed application form properly filled in and accompanied by an entrance fee, subscriptions due and boat or board fees. Such proposal shall be submitted to the General Committee at its next meeting which shall proceed to the election or rejection of the candidate by simple majority. If the candidate is rejected his or her payment shall be refunded.

5. PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP

Members shall produce proof of membership on the request of the General Committee or any person authorised by the General Committee.

6. JUNIOR MEMBERS

An applicant for membership who is over the age of eight years and under the age of nineteen years at the date of his or her application, and who is also under the age of nineteen years on the 31st March in the subscription year in which his or her application is made, may be admitted to junior membership.

Children of members are not required to pay membership fees until the age of twelve years.

Youth Groups shall be admitted to membership on the following basis.

(a) A Group shall consist of adult members of the group who are members of the Club, or Complimentary members and children who are eligible as Junior Members (under Rule 6).

(b) The Group Leader shall nominate to the Membership Secretary:-

(1) The members of the Group.

(2) An adult member of the Group who shall be responsible for payments of the Group subscription, boat and board fees and any other monies due and to act as the boat/board fee paying member on behalf of the group.

(3) The proposed dates and times of the Group's visits.

(c) Youth Group Junior Members shall have no voting rights.

(d) Youth Group Members shall comply with the Rules and Bye-laws of the Club.

(e) The Group shall include at least two adult members who are Members or Complimentary Members of the Club.

7. YOUNG ADULT MEMBERS

An applicant for membership who is over the age of eighteen years or is twenty one years of age and will be under the age of twenty two years on the 31st March of the subscription year in which his or her application is made, may be admitted to young adult membership. Junior members will become Young Adult members from the 1st April after attaining the age of Eighteen years.

8. SOCIAL MEMBERS

Social Members may be admitted to the Club to use the land based facilities other than angling subject to approval of the General Committee.

Any Social Member wishing to change to sailing membership must have paid or shall pay the current applicable entrance fee and balance of the current year's subscription.

9. ANGLING ONLY MEMBERS

Angling Only Members may be admitted to the Club’s estate to use the water margins and certain land based facilities subject to the approval of the General Committee.

Any Angling Only Member wishing to sail or Sailing Member wishing to angle shall become a Combined Sailing/Angling Member and pay the balance of the current year’s subscription.

10. TEMPORARY MEMBERS

Members of R.Y.A. recognised Yacht Clubs may be admitted to temporary membership upon application to the Membership Secretary. Other applicants for Temporary Membership must be about to undergo or are undergoing an Adult Training Course. Temporary membership shall cease upon the expiration of the period covered by the last subscription paid. Temporary membership shall not be granted for a period to exceed one month in any one year.

Temporary members shall not be entitled to receive notice to attend a General Meeting of the Club.

Notwithstanding these provisions, visiting helms and their crews who are visiting the Club's waters in connection with an Open Meeting or Frostbite Series sailing, shall be admitted to temporary membership for the duration of the fixture without payment of subscriptions.

11. HONORARY MEMBERS

Honorary Membership, without the payment of membership fees, is conferred on members and their spouses, and others, for exemplary service to the Club. Honorary Members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting provided written notice of any such nomination is given to the Secretary by the preceding 31st day of August.

12. OUT-PORT MEMBERS

Out-Port membership is open to a member who after two or more years with the Club, moves to reside permanently beyond a seventy-five mile radius from the Club, and who does not continue to use a boat or board on the Club's waters. Out-Port members shall have no voting rights.

13. COMPLIMENTARY MEMBERS

Complimentary Members shall be elected by and at the discretion of the General Committee.

14. AFFILIATION

Members shall automatically be affiliated members of the Middle Nene Cruising Club.

Members of the Middle Nene Cruising Club are affiliated members of the Club.

15. SAFETY

All persons afloat on the Clubs waters, shall wear a properly fitting and fastened buoyancy aid complying as a minimum with European Standard CEN reference EN 393 (Buoyancy aids – 50N).

16. KEY HOLDERS

Junior, Temporary, Lapsed, Resigned, Expelled or Affiliated members may not be issued, hold, or use an access key.

17. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Annual Subscriptions shall be paid direct to the Membership Secretary. The annual subscription of members shall be due and payable on the 1st April each year for the twelve months expiring on 31st March.

18. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Members shall cease to be members:-

(a) By non-payment of subscription. Any person whose membership has ceased from this cause shall not again be nominated for membership unless he or she previously pays all arrears due from him or her at the time of his or her ceasing to be a member.

(b) By expulsion under Rule 33  

(c) By resignation, but any member wishing to resign must send written notice to the Membership Secretary and the notice must be accompanied by any outstanding subscriptions and fees.

19. LAPSED OR RESIGNED MEMBERS

Any member, who has not paid his or her subscription or part payments by post dated cheques, by the 1st May, shall cease to be a member, and his or her name shall be erased from the list of members. The Membership Secretary shall post in the Club premises, as soon as possible after the 1st May, the names of such persons who have ceased to be members. Lapsed, resigned, or expelled members, may not take part in the Club’s affairs, have no right of access to the Club, and may only enter the Club as provided under Rule 21 – Club Guests. A member whose membership has ceased shall return all access and or locker keys together with any Club property. A lapsed, resigned, or expelled member who desires to rejoin the Club will require to be re-elected and will be liable for an entrance fee.

20. PROPERTY OF LAPSED OR FORMER MEMBERS

If at any time subscription or other fees payable to the Club by any member or former member is more than one month overdue.

(a) The General Committee shall be entitled, upon giving one month's notice in writing to the member or former member at his last known address shown in the register of members, to sell any boat or property of such member or former member and to deduct any monies due to the club (whether by way of subscriptions or fees, or such storage charges as the General Committee shall consider appropriate to impose, or otherwise), from the net proceeds of sale before accounting for the balance (if any) to the member or former member.

(b) Alternatively,  any   boat  or   property    which   in  the  opinion  of  the  General Committee cannot be sold, may upon such notice as aforesaid, be disposed of  in any manner the General Committee think fit, and the expenses recovered from the member or former member.

(c) Further, the club shall at all times have lien over members or former members' boats or boards parked or moored on the Club's premises or club moorings and over members or former members' property in respect of all monies due to the Club whether in respect of arrears of boat or board fees, subscriptions, or for storage or otherwise.

21.  CLUB GUESTS

Members may introduce a maximum of three guests, at any one time, to the Club, subject to such restrictions and regulations as the General Committee may make. The member introducing him or her shall be responsible for all liabilities incurred by him or her on his or her behalf. The guests, and the members introducing him or her, shall sign their names in a book kept for that purpose, immediately on entry to club property. The same visitor may not be brought to the Club site on more than four occasions during the Season, except for organised social functions as defined below.

Persons other than members and their guests may be admitted to the club premises and purchase and consume on such premises intoxicating liquor at organised functions, which organised functions shall not exceed nine in any one year where persons other than members and their guests are permitted.

22. CLUB MANAGEMENT

The affairs of the Club shall be directed and managed by the General Committee. In addition there shall be a Sailing Committee, a House Committee and a Training Committee subordinate to the General Committee, which are responsible for all sailing, racing and board sailing activities, social and domestic, and training activities respectively.

(a) The Officers of the Club shall consist of:-

1. President

2. Commodore

3. Vice Commodore

4. Rear Commodore Sailing

5. Rear Commodore House

6. Rear Commodore Training

7. Past Commodores

8. General Secretary

9. Treasurer

10. Membership Secretary

11. Sailing Secretary

12. Race Secretary

13. House Secretary

14. Training Secretary

15. Harbour Master

16. New Member Representative

17. Public Relations Secretary

With the exception of the President and the Past Commodores all the Officers shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. The Commodore, on retiring from that office, shall ipsofacto become a Past Commodore and shall continue to hold that office until he or she resigns or ceases to be a member of the Club.

b) The General Committee shall consist of three members elected each year at the AGM together with the General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Harbour Master and New Member Representative. Six members form a quorum.

c) The Sailing Committee shall consist of three members together with the Sailing, Race and Public Relations Secretaries elected each year at the Annual General Meeting together with the Fleet Captains as defined in the Bye Laws. Four members form a quorum

(d) The House Committee shall consist of three members and House Secretary elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Three members form a quorum.

(e) The Training Committee shall consist of three members and Training secretary elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Three members form a quorum.

(f) The Flag Officers are the Commodore, the Vice Commodore and the Rear Commodores, and the immediate past Commodore.

(g) No member shall be eligible to hold the office of Commodore for more than two successive years, except by special approval of the Annual General Meeting.

(h) The Commodore shall Chair the General Committee, the Rear Commodore Sailing shall Chair the Sailing Committee, the Rear Commodore House shall Chair the House Committee and the Rear Commodore Training shall Chair the Training Committee.

(i) The President and Flag Officers shall be ex-officio to all Committees and Sub Committees.

(j) The above Committees shall have the power to co-opt and co-opted members shall have the right to vote, at their respective committees.

(k) The President shall chair any meetings, as are required, of the Trustees.

(l) In cases of any casual vacancy in the above Committees, the Committee concerned may appoint any member to act until the next Annual General Meeting.

23. REGISTER OF MEMBERS

The General Secretary shall keep such register of members, minutes of proceedings of the General Meetings and other records of the Club and the Treasurer shall keep such books of account as the General Committee may from time to time direct. The Membership Secretary shall keep a record of subscriptions paid and unpaid on display at the Club premises and take such actions as the General Committee direct to obtain payment of subscriptions due.

24. MEMBERSHIP LIST

The General Committee shall in the event of intoxicants being consumed in the Club House, keep thereat a list of the names and addresses of the members, as required by the Licensing Acts. Every member shall within 14 days give notice to the General &/ or Membership Secretary of any change in his or her address. 

25. THE GENERAL COMMITTEE

The General Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club in accordance with these rules and make or repeal bye-laws for the good conduct of the Club. Such bye-laws shall, provided they are not inconsistent with these rules for the time being, be binding on all members and be construed as part of these rules until they are rescinded. The General Committee shall be responsible for the purchase of drinks and other supplies and their sale from the bar.

26. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a convenient date in September.

27. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

The General Committee may at any time, and shall on the requisition of any ten members stating the business for which it is required, convene an extraordinary general meeting for any special purpose.

28. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

The General Secretary shall, at least fourteen days before any general meeting send to every member at his or her address in the Club books a notice of such meeting stating the time when and place where it will be held and the business that will be brought before it. No business, other than that of a formal nature, shall be brought forward at any General Meeting unless notice thereof shall have been duly given as herein provided.

29. VOTING

At all General Meetings every question shall be decided by a majority of votes. Every member, excluding junior, social, angling only, temporary, complimentary, outport and affiliated members, shall have one vote and in the case of equality of votes the Chair shall have a casting vote. The quorum at a general meeting shall be twenty members (entitled to vote) present in person.

30. RESOLUTIONS

At any meeting a declaration by the Chair that a resolution has been carried or carried by a particular majority, or lost or not carried by a particular majority,  shall be conclusive.

31. CLUB PROPERTY

There shall be not more than four Trustees of the Club. The first trustees shall be appointed by the General Committee and the Property of the Club (other than cash which shall be under the control of the Treasurer) shall be vested in them to be dealt with by them as the General Committee shall from time to time direct by resolution of which entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence. The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Club property. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by a resolution of the General Committee which may for any reason which may seem sufficient to a majority of the members of the Committee present and voting at any meeting remove any trustees from the Office of Trustee. Should it become necessary to appoint a new or additional trustee the General Committee shall by resolution nominate the person or persons to be appointed as new trustee or trustees. For the purpose of giving effect to such nomination the President of the Club is nominated as a person to appoint new trustees of the Club within the meaning of the Trustee Act 1925 Section 36 and he or she shall by Deed appoint the person or persons so nominated by the Committee as the new trustee or trustees of the Club and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment.   

Any statement of the fact in any Deed of Appointment shall in favour of the person dealing bona fide and for value with the Club or the Committee be conclusive evidence of the facts so stated. The Trustees shall stand possessed of the property of the Club to hold, sell, lease, mortgage or otherwise deal with the same in accordance with the Club’s Rules and Byelaws.

32. CLUB ACCOUNTS

The General Committee shall cause to be prepared by a qualified accountant every year a statement of receipts and expenditure made up to 31st March which shall be submitted to the members at the then next Annual General Meeting.

33. CONDUCT OF MEMBERS AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

a. Every member on joining the Club, by implication, undertakes to comply with these rules and the current Byelaws. Any refusal or neglect to do so, or any conduct which, in the opinion of the General Committee, is either unworthy of a member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the club, shall render a member liable to expulsion by the General Committee. Minor disciplinary matters will usually be dealt with informally involving discussions between a General Committee member(s) and the member(s) in question. If these do not bring about an improvement or there is a further disciplinary offence the following formal procedure will used. It shall be the duty of the General Committee, if in their opinion the interests of the Club so require, to invite by letter, such member to withdraw from the Club within a time specified in such letter, and, in default of such withdrawal to submit the question of his or her expulsion to a General Committee Meeting to be held within six weeks after the date of such letter. At such meeting, the member whose expulsion is under consideration shall be allowed to offer an explanation of his or her conduct verbally or in writing, and if thereupon two thirds or more of the committee members present shall vote for his or her expulsion, he or she shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Club. It shall be in the power of the General Committee to exclude such member from the Club premises until such General Committee Meeting shall be held. A member expelled under this rule shall forfeit all right and claim upon the Club and its property. A notice under this rule shall be held to have been duly given if sent by pre-paid post to the address of the member appearing in the Club books. Appeal against expulsion may be made to the members in an Extraordinary General Meeting.

b. Complaints of any nature relating to the management of the club and its premises shall be addressed in writing to the General Secretary. Under no circumstances shall a servant of the club be personally reprimanded by a member.

34. RULE OBSERVANCE

All members shall observe the rules of the river and sailing water, and the rules and bye-laws of the Environment Agency.

35. RULE CHANGES

These rules may not be altered or repealed, or new rules made except at the Annual General Meeting, or at an Extraordinary General Meeting duly summoned for the purpose, except that the permitted hours fixed under rule 36 shall be within the control of the General Committee subject to notice to the local Licensing Authority.

36. PERMITTED BAR HOURS

The club has a 24 hour bar licence but the bar will only be open under the supervision of a committee member.

37. DISCLAIMER

The Trustees, Officers and Committees of the Middle Nene Sailing Club cannot accept responsibility for any injury to persons or, effects to persons resulting from contaminated water, or loss of or damage to property while on Club premises or water.

38. RULES

Every member shall be furnished with a copy of these Rules and be bound thereby.

39. FINANCIAL GAIN

No member shall make any financial gain from any activity on Club premises unless authorised by the General Committee.