Kilmarnock Tennis Club

www.kilmarnocktennisclub.com

Club constitution

 

1 Name and objectives:

a. The Club, founded in 1936, shall be named ‘Kilmarnock Tennis Club’.

b. The Club shall have as its objects the provision of tennis, social and other facilities for its Members.

 

2 Constitution:

The Club is hereby constituted as a non-profit making members’ club. In no circumstances during the continuance of the Club, nor at or after its dissolution, shall any assets or surplus funds be distributed to any member or other person nor to any organisation which is not itself either constituted as non-profit making or a charity. Surplus funds during the life of the Club shall be paid into a development account for improvements to Club facilities.

 

3 Affiliation:

a. The Club shall affiliate to Tennis Scotland through Tennis Ayrshire and shall adopt and conform to the rules of these organisations insofar as they apply.

b. Every playing member must, in the annual Club subscription, pay the ‘Players Contribution’, which the Club will pass on to Tennis Ayrshire.

 

4 Inter-club team competitions:

The Club shall participate in the Ayrshire League, Scottish Cup, Ayrshire Mixed Doubles, Ayrshire Junior League, Masters and any other team competition approved by the Committee.

 

5 Membership (open to all):

Membership is open to all and no application for membership will be refused on other than reasonable grounds. Application is by completion of the KTC Membership form and payment of the relevant subscription. Should Membership be refused, the applicant will have the right of appeal to the Committee.

Membership will not be denied on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, political or other opinion.

 

6 Classes of Member and subscriptions (please see Membership costs page for details):

b. Honorary Membership, including Honorary Life Membership, shall be strictly limited and at the discretion of the Committee, by way of reward for special services to the Club.

e. If the limit of Members is reached, a waiting list shall be created on a first-come, first-served basis. The Committee shall give priority to applications from residents of the East Ayrshire district.

If approved, the new member must pay the relevant subscription within 14 days of notification being sent. If the subscription was enclosed with the application:

i. This will be refunded if the candidate is not accepted as a Member.

ii. The Honorary Secretary and one other Committee Member may allow the candidate to play pending consideration of the application.

f. i. Renewal of subscriptions for annual Members shall be completed by 30th April, after which no participation in Club activities shall be allowed until payment is made.

ii. Those persons seeking ‘Summer’ membership must make payment before being allowed to play.

g. The Committee may at their discretion make a refund of a subscription to a Member who becomes unable to use the Club for a substantial part of the season on account of injury, illness or departure from the district.

h. Subscription levels shall be changed only with the approval of at least two-thirds of those Members present and voting, or a motion to that effect at an Annual General Meeting.

 

7 Finance and accounting:

a. The financial year of the Club shall run from 1st January to 31st December and the account submitted to the AGM shall be prepared accordingly.

b. Copies of the financial statement shall be available at the AGM for each Member entitled to attend.

c. The Hon Treasurer shall give a report to each Committee meeting on the financial position of the Club.

d. The Club, subject to a formal Committee resolution, duly recorded in the minutes, shall open and maintain a Treasurer’s account and development account with a building society chosen by the Committee. Withdrawals from these accounts may be made by any two of President, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer. All such withdrawals shall be subject to formal Committee ratification.

 

8 Visitors:

Members may invite a total of six guests to play at the Club during any subscription year. No guest may play on more than three occasions.

 

9 Management:

 

A. The General Committee:

1. The Management of the Club shall be in the entire control of a Committee of eleven (11) Members to be called the ‘General’ Committee referred to, except in this rule, as ‘the Committee’.

2. The General Committee shall consist of the following Office Bearers: President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and seven Senior Members of the Club. All shall be elected for one year at the AGM, except that the elected Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy. If more than one of the above Offices is held by the same person, no extra Committee vacancy shall be thereby created.

3. The General Committee shall elect Members where this is required under Rule 6(e) and shall from time to time make and revise the Regulations of the Club.

4. The General Committee shall have power to decide any matter not provided for by this Constitution or the current Regulations.

5. The General Committee shall meet as necessary. The Hon Secretary shall inform all Committee Members of the date and time of any Committee meeting at least seven days before such a meeting is due to take place. 6. The Quorum at a meeting of the General Committee shall be six Members and in the event of equality of voting the President, who shall chair Committee meetings, shall have the casting vote.

7. The General Committee may delegate any of its duties (except the election of Members and financial matters) to one or more sub-committees and it may create or abolish as many such sub-committees as and when this is considered necessary, provided that such action had the approval of two thirds of those present and voting at a properly constituted Committee meeting.

 

B. Team selection Committees:

1. Team Captains shall be elected at each AGM for Gents, Ladies and Mixed teams, membership of each Committee being composed as follows:

a) Gents - three (3) Gents’ Match Secretaries

b) Ladies - two (2) Ladies’ Match Secretaries and one Selector

c) Mixed - two (2) Gents and two (2) Ladies

d) Masters - two (2) teams

2. The Team Captains shall organise team practices on any nights set aside for them in the Regulations and shall select the teams for matches from those persons attending the practices provided there are sufficient affiliated members present.

 

C. Discipline Committee:

1. Each AGM shall elect a Discipline Committee of five Members – President, Hon Secretary and three (3) other General Committee Members – to deal with complaints alleging misconduct or offensive behaviour and report its findings to the General Committee.

2. The Hon Secretary shall, on receipt of a written complaint alleging misconduct or offensive behaviour or a breach of the Rules & Regulations of the Club, give 14 days’ notice of a Discipline Committee meeting to members of that committee, the person or persons making the complaint/s and the person or persons named in the complaint/s.

3. The Discipline Committee shall interview individually the complainant or complainants and any against whom written complaints have been lodged and consider any evidence submitted by them or on their behalf. In the event of someone against whom a complaint has been made failing to attend the interview or sending a written reply to the complaint, the Committee is authorised to take what they consider appropriate action. Confidentiality must be kept at all times.

4. Notification of a decision of the Discipline Committee shall be sent in writing to the person or persons complaining and anyone complained against within seven days of its meeting. Any appeal against its finding must be received by the Hon Secretary within a further seven days and the appeal will be referred to the General Committee, whose decision is final.

5. All meetings of the Discipline Committee shall be minuted.

 

10 General meetings of the Club:

a. The Honorary Secretary shall send to every Member (other than junior and Summer Members) at least seven days’ notice of any General Meeting of the Club, together with a copy of the agenda.

b. The President shall be Chairperson at any General Meeting of the Club. In the event of equality of votes on any motion, the Chair shall have a second or casting vote.

c. Every Member (other than junior and Summer Members) shall be entitled to be present and to speak at any General Meeting of the Club and to vote thereat.

d. At any General Meeting of the club it shall be held that the presence of 10 members entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum of the club and that it shall be competent to those members to carry through all the business to be dealt with at that meeting.

e. General Meetings of the Club shall be of two types:

1. The Annual General Meeting

i. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held each year before the end of March.

ii. Any member wishing to propose a motion at the AGM must send a copy thereof to the Hon Secretary before 1st March so that provision may be made on the agenda.

iii. The business of the AGM Meeting shall be:

a. The confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM and of any subsequent Extra-ordinary General Meeting (EGM).

b. The consideration of the President’s report for the year just ended.

c. The consideration of the Hon Treasurer’s accounts for the financial year ended 31 December.

d. The election of Office Bearers and Committees for the ensuing year.

e. Items for which notice has been given on the Agenda.

f. Any other business.

iv. A newly-elected President shall have the option of taking the Chair for the remainder of the AGM.

v. Any motion to alter this Constitution must appear on the Agenda for an EGM and shall not be accepted by the Chair under ‘any other business’.

2. Extra-ordinary General Meetings

i. The Committee shall call an Extra-ordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the club at their discretion or within one month of receipt by the Hon Secretary of a requisition signed by twenty Senior and/or Student Members stating the business proposed.

ii. The business of an EGM shall be in accordance with the requisition under which it was summoned and the Agenda issued.

g. At any General Meeting, business that calls for the winding up of the Club, the transfer of any assets of the Club, the borrowing of money or any expenditure not within the immediate financial resources of the Club must not be dealt with under ‘any other business’. Due notice must be given as provided in section 10(a).

h. All General Meetings of the Club shall be conducted in accordance with Standing Orders.

 

11 Courts:

a. The Committee shall control all use of the Courts for Club play.

b. The Committee shall have sole power, notwithstanding conditions laid down in the lease of the Courts to this Club by East Ayrshire Council, to decide the use of the Courts for any competition or purpose.

c. i. Three courts shall be used for Ayrshire League Matches.

ii. Three courts shall be used for Scottish Cup matches.

iii. Three courts shall be used for Ayrshire Mixed Doubles.

d. Up to three courts shall be reserved as required for junior team matches.

e. Two courts may be reserved on non-match nights for participants in the Club Championships, provided that:

i. 24 hours’ notice of such reservation has been given on sheets provided for this purpose in the Clubhouse.

ii. No American tournaments have been arranged for these nights.

f. Up to three courts may be reserved as required for the mini tennis coaching schemes of East Ayrshire Council and Tennis Scotland.

g. Up to three courts can be reserved for scheduled evening team practice.

h. Three courts can be reserved for American tournaments.

 

12 Suspension or expulsion:

The Committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend the membership of any Member (and to expel a visitor)who is believed to be guilty of a breach of the rules contained in the Constitution or of misconduct or offensive behaviour to any Member, visitor or Club employee, whether on the Club premises or elsewhere.

 

13 Injury, loss of property, etc:

Members or visitors leaving unattended vehicles or personal property at the Club do so at their own risk and the Club shall not be liable for any loss, damage or injury resulting from this or any other cause.

 

14 Damage to Club property:

Members damaging Club fixtures or property may be required by the Committee to pay for such damage.

 

15 Kilmarnock & Loudoun Youth Panel:

The Club may affiliate to Kilmarnock & Loudoun Youth Panel and shall participate in such activities of the organisation as the Committee may decide. Notification of such activities received by the Club shall be displayed on the Club notice board.

 

16 Child Protection:

Kilmarnock Tennis Club aims to create an enjoyable environment for all juniors who wish to take part in tennis, other sports and social activities at the club. The Club emphasises that young people have the right to be safe, secure and free from threat. The Club acknowledges that young people have the right to be treated with respect and for their concerns to be listened to and acted upon.

The Club will ensure that junior members have specific programmes and facilities designated for them, with adequate supervision. The Club has procedures in place to help any young person who requests help and support on a confidential basis, in issues relating to child protection.

The Club will ensure that any Club Members and volunteers working with young people are aware of and apply the LTA Code of conduct for ‘Those Working with Children in Tennis’, and have signed the club self declaration form in relation to child protection.

The club has an adult member who is specifically responsible for young people: This person’s name is Joanne Miller and her contact telephone number is 01563 534698.

 

17 East Ayrshire Sports Council:

The Club may affiliate to East Ayrshire Sports Council and may participate in such activities of the organisation as the Committee may decide. Notification of such activities received by the Club shall be displayed on the notice board.

 

18 Rules and Regulations:

a. A copy of this Constitution and of any regulations made by the Committee shall be prominently displayed at all times on the Club notice board and all members deemed to be conversant therewith.

b. All Members shall be entitled to receive a copy of this Constitution and of the regulations of the Club.

c. All new Members on joining shall be given a copy of this Constitution and of the regulations.

d. The rules listed in this Constitution shall not be altered except at a properly-convened EGM.

 

19 Dissolution:

If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all the Club’s debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall be given or transferred to some other organisation or organisations having objects (that is, aims and activities) similar to the objects of the club, such organisation or organisations to be determined by the Members of the club by resolution passed at a General meeting at or before the time of the dissolution, and if effect cannot be given to such provision, then to some charitable objects.

 

Updated and adopted - October 7, 2013

 

A full copy of the constitution is available in PDF format from ktcsecretary@gmail.com