Rules of the Association

GERRARDS CROSS SAILING ASSOCIATION RULES

Jan 17, 2007, revised 15th March 2017.

1 Name and objects

1.1         The name of the Association is “Gerrards Cross Sailing Association”.

1.2         The object of the Association shall be to provide lectures, discussions, social and other activities for all those interested in the sport and pastime of sailing and boating.

1.3         The Association is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Association’s facilities. No profit or surpluses will be distributed except as covered under Rule 11 – Dissolution.

2  Membership

2.1         Membership shall be open to any person over the age of 18.

2.2         A person under the age of eighteen (18) and sponsored by an adult member may become a Junior Member.

2.3         A member’s children or grandchildren under the age of eighteen (18) are considered to be Junior Members of the Association whilst participating in an activity organised by the Association.

2.4         Applicants for membership shall record their personal details on a membership form which shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary.  Membership of the Association shall be at the discretion of the Committee.

2.5         Every member shall furnish the Honorary Secretary with an up-to-date address and email address if available and any notice sent to such addresses shall be deemed to have been duly delivered.

2.6         The Committee may appoint a person or persons as Honorary Members of the Association, generally in recognition of some service or particular relationship with the Association

2.7         Members who, for any reason, wish to resign their membership shall inform the Honorary Secretary in writing by mail or email.

2.8         Guests or visitors will be welcome to attend Association functions on payment of a visitor fee as decided by the Committee from time to time. Guests or visitors shall record their name and email address ifavailable on the attendance sheet.

3  Joining Fee and Subscription

3.1         The Association joining fee (if any) and the annual subscription payable by all members of the Association shall be recommended by the Committee and put to the general meeting on an annual basis

3.2         The Association joining fee shall be payable just once at the beginning of a member’s period of membership. This fee may be set to be nil.

3.3         The annual subscription shall become payable on joining and on the 1st October each year.

3.4         The first year’s subscription for those members joining after the end of December but before 1st October may be reduced for that partial year at the discretion of the Committee provided that a Bankers standing order for the full subscription is signed effective 1st October of that year.

3.5         Subscriptions shall normally be payable by Bankers Standing Order.

3.6         The annual subscription levied for two members having the same address may be set at a discount and called Family Membership.

3.7         The annual subscription levied for a member who has moved residence to a distance greater than 50 miles from Gerrards Cross may, at the discretion of the Committee, be set at a discount and called Outport Membership.

3.8         Any member whose subscription has not been received in full by 1st December shall be considered to be in arrears.

3.9         Any member with annual subscription payments in arrears who attends an Association function or event shall pay their arrears in full to the relevant committee member prior to admittance.

3.10     Any member/s whose subscription payment is in arrears may not vote at any meeting

3.11     The Committee may cancel, without notice, the membership of any member whose annual subscription fees are more than three months in arrears, provided that the Committee may, at its discretion, reinstate such member upon payment of arrears. After a period of six months in arrears a new membership application form and Standing Order form shall be required together with payment of such joining fee as may be in force before reinstatement.

4  Officers

4.1         The Officers of the Association shall be members and shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, each of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year to hold office for the subsequent year until the next Annual General Meeting. The retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election, save that the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall serve for a maximum of two consecutive years. The retiring chairman may not seek election to office or the committee for a period of one year following retirement.

4.2         No candidate for election to any office (other than the retiring Officers) shall be proposed unless the name of such candidate and of their proposer shall have been submitted to the Honorary Secretary 30 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, and unless the consent of the proposed candidate has been obtained.

5  Committee

5.1         The Committee shall consist of the four Officers and not more than six members of the Association, elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting.

5.2         Candidates for election to the Committee shall be those members of the retiring committee who shall offer themselves for re-election and such other members of the Association whose nominations have been proposed and seconded by members of the Association in writing and shall have been sent to the Honorary Secretary 30 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, the consent of the candidate having been obtained.

5.3         If the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot. In the event of the ballot failing to determine the members of the Committee because of an equality of votes, the candidate or candidates to be elected from those having an equal number of votes shall be determined by lot.

5.4         If a vacancy occurs for any reason, the Committee may co-opt a member to fill the vacancy.

5.5         The Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association according to these rules and shall apply the funds of the Association to the objects of the Association.

5.6         The Committee shall make such bylaws, rules and regulations as they think fit for the management of any property of the Association.

5.7         The Committee may appoint sub-committees as it may deem necessary and may delegate such of its powers as it may think fit upon such terms and conditions as shall be deemed expedient.  Such sub-committees shall consist of such members of the Committee or of the Association as the Committees may think fit.  Officers of the club shall be ex officio members of all such sub-committees.

5.8         No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Committee unless a quorum of the Committee is present, such a quorum being a minimum of two Officers and three Committee members.

5.9         A member of the Committee, of a sub-committee or any officer of the Association, in transacting business for the Association, shall disclose to third parties that he is so acting.

5.10     The Committee or any person or sub-committee delegated by the Committee to act as agent for the Association or its members, shall enter into contract only as far as expressly authorised, or authorised by implication, by the members.  No person shall, without the express authority of the membership in General Meeting, pledge the credit of the membership.

5.11     In pursuance of the authority vested in the Committee by members of the club, members of the Committee are entitled to be indemnified by the members of the club against any liabilities properly incurred by them or any one of them on behalf of the club wherever the contract is of a duly authorised nature or could be assumed to be of a duly authorised nature and entered into on behalf of the club. The limit of any individual member’s indemnity in this respect shall be a sum equal to one year’s subscription at the then current rate of that category of membership unless the committee has been authorised to exceed such limit by a General Meeting of the Association.

5.12     The Association’s annual accounting period shall run from 1 October to the following 30 September.

5.13     The Committee shall ensure that such books of accounts are kept as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the finances of the Association and shall ensure that an annual balance sheet is available for consideration at each annual general meeting.

5.14     The Committee shall ensure that such insurance policy or policies are administered as may be needed to adequately protect the interests of the Association, its Officers and its members.

5.15     The committee shall take legal advice as and when required to ensure that the Association’s affairs are managed in accordance with current law.

6  Honorary Independent Examiner

6.1         At the Annual General Meeting, an Honorary Independent Examiner shall be appointed whose duty shall be to independently examine the Associations accounts.

7   Annual & Special General Meetings

7.1         A general meeting of the members of the Association shall be held no later than the end of April each year.

7.2         Notice of this annual general meeting together with the business to be brought forward at the meeting shall be delivered  to each member at least fourteen (14) days before such meeting.

7.3         No business (except the passing of the accounts and the election of the Officers, Committee and Honorary Independent Examiner and any business that the Committee may order to be inserted in the notice convening the meeting) shall be discussed at such meeting, unless notice thereof be given to the Honorary Secretary 30 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

7.4         The Committee may, on giving 14 days’ notice, call a Special General Meeting of the Association for any specific business, the nature of which shall be stated in the notice convening the meeting, and the discussion at such meeting shall be confined to that business only.

7.5         The Committee shall call a Special General Meeting on the written request of a minimum of 20 members or 20 percent of the membership, excluding Juniors, whichever shall be the lower, and shall comply with the conditions set out in Clause 7.3 hereof.

7.6         At a General Meeting of the Association all Members, except Juniors, shall have one vote. In case of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second and casting vote.

7.7         At a General Meeting of the Association 15 members, except Juniors, shall form a quorum and shall include at least 2 officers of the Association.

7.8         Accidental omission to give notice of any meeting to or non-receipt of such notice by any member does not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.

8   New Rules, Amendments and Alterations

8.1         Notice of any alteration or addition to the rules intended to be proposed by a member of the Association shall be given to the Honorary Secretary in writing 30 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, or 30 days before any Special General Meeting at which the same is to be brought forward, and full particulars of any such proposed alterations or additions shall be set out in the notice convening the meeting.

8.2         All such proposed alterations or additions and any amendments to them which may be proposed and seconded, shall be put to the vote of the meeting, and provided that on a show of hands, or, if demanded on a poll, a majority of two-thirds of the votes of those members present and voting shall be cast in favour of any proposed alterations or additions or amendments then the same shall be deemed to be carried.

9   Data Protection Act 1998

9.1         The acceptance of these rules by past, existing or prospective members of the Association, or persons who have regular contact with it, shall be deemed to constitute consent to the holding by the Association of personal data for the purpose of establishing or maintaining membership of or support for the Association, or providing or administering activities.

10   Limitation of liability*

10.1       In these Rules “GXSA” means the Gerrards Cross Sailing Association and both collectively and individually its Officers, Committee members , members and those acting on its behalf or voluntarily assisting it.    “GXSA event(s)” means any activity, meeting, rally or other event organised, arranged, facilitated or promoted by the GXSA, ashore or afloat including getting to and from it.

10.2       The GXSA is organised and managed on a voluntary, amateur basis and GXSA shall not be liable to anyone for any loss, damage, death or personal injury howsoever caused to its members, skippers, crews or other participants or third parties, their boats, belongings and equipment whilst at or participating in a GXSA event.  

10.3       Skippers, crew, GXSA members and other participants in GXSA events acknowledge the inherent risk involved in the sport of sailing and warrant to the GXSA that they are appropriately qualified and/or experienced, equipped and prepared to participate in the relevant GXSA event, that their boat and other equipment is in good order and suitable for the conditions and that they have independently informed themselves of the meteorological, maritime, tidal and other information appropriate to the GXSA event and that they carry appropriate safety equipment. All participants at GXSA events should abide by all maritime, harbour and other relevant rules and regulations and remain personally liable for any failure to do so.

10.4       When at a GXSA event involving waterborne activities whether in company or alone all owners, skippers, crew and other participants understand that normal maritime laws apply and that the GXSA does not provide any rescue cover, patrol or safety boats or other repair facilities or safety measures. The skippers should assess for themselves whether the GXSA event and any conditions are within their, their equipment and crews’ abilities to safely participate and that they must rely on their own resources. Regardless of any information or instructions given by GXSA the skipper of any vessel will remain responsible for its and its crew’s actions.

10.5       To the extent that GXSA organises or facilitates crew lists or introduces owners, skippers and crew to each other or facilitates their introduction the GXSA gives no warranty as to the seaworthiness or appropriateness or safety of any boat or equipment nor as to the competence, experience, health or otherwise of any skipper, crew or other participant who should all satisfy themselves as to such matters prior to setting off.

10.6       All boats, owners, skippers and crew should ensure that at the very least they carry adequate third party liability insurance.

10.7       Children (under 18) may only attend GXSA events in the company of their parent, guardian or other adult relation or a responsible adult bringing them to the event (“Adult”) and such child or children must remain under the care and control of such Adult at all times whilst at the GXSA event and such Adult shall have complete responsibility for the child’s safety, conduct and wellbeing. Where the Adult is not the parent or guardian of the child it is the Adult’s responsibility to ensure they have the parent or guardian’s consent.

10.8       The GXSA shall have no responsibility to any participant or planned participant of a GXSA event which has to be cancelled or amended due to adverse weather or any other reason. The GXSA reserves the right to rearrange or cancel events at any time.

10.9       The GXSA is not a training body and any explanation, view, opinion, encouragement or information offered by GXSA or those speaking at GXSA events should not be treated as training or expert advice or relied on without independent verification or training and any views expressed or information given by speakers at GXSA events is their own and not that of GXSA which shall not be responsible for it. Where GXSA arranges or facilitates attendance by Members or others at formal training events offered by third parties the GXSA will not be responsible for the scope or quality of such training or the experience or qualifications of the person(s) giving it or for any advice or training given”.

11  Dissolution

11.1     In the event the Committee shall decide that it can no longer continue with the effective running of the Association, it shall call a Special General Meeting in accordance with Clause 7.3 hereof and shall explain to the membership the reasons for the proposed dissolution of the Association. Should the membership seek to elect new Officers and a new Committee, they shall do only in accordance with Clause 5.0 herein.

11.2     In the event that it is agreed at the Special General Meeting called for that purpose, that the Association shall be dissolved then the Committee shall dispose of the assets of the Association by distributing the same to such charities as they shall elect.  On the final disposal of such assets and the winding up of the affairs of the Association, the Treasurer shall prepare a Final Accounts, indicating such disposals and which statement shall be certified by the Honorary Independent Examiner and a copy sent to each member of the Association.

 *********

* previous liability clause replaced after AGM on 15th March 2017 and RYA consultation. 

10.1         The Gerrards Cross Sailing Association and its officers and committee members shall not be liable to any member whatsoever of the Association, or any person using Association property or attending activities arranged by the Association or by virtue of these rules for or by reason of any act, neglect, default or negligence of any officer, servant or agent of the Association.