Constitution of St Margaretsbury Tennis Club 1. The name of the Club shall be ‘St Margaretsbury Tennis Club’. 2. a) The purpose of the Club is to provide social and recreational tennis on the grounds provided by the St Margaretsbury foundation charitable trust, registered as the St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground, herein “the Trust”. b) Tennis shall be played based on the rules of the LTA. c) The club shall be entitled to the use of the land for courts, premises, and facilities via payment of a levy to the Trust. 3. The managing of the Club shall comprise a committee made up as follows:Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer (The Officers), Club Captain, Junior Representative, plus up to four others. If desired, the committee may decide that other members may be co-opted as non-voting members. 4. a) The main committee of the Club is to be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) to be held in the month of March, twenty one days written notice of which is to be clearly displayed in the Club hut giving the date, venue, and agenda. b) Only paid up full members aged over 18 on March 1st of that year are entitled to vote at the A.G.M. c) The Constitution rules of the Club may be changed at the A.G.M. provided twenty one days written notice of the proposed alterations are given in summary by means of its agenda. d) If necessary, a special (Extraordinary) E.G.M. shall be called by the Hon Secretary on written application to the Chairman by ten (10) fully paid-up members giving reason for such a meeting. The E.G.M. is to be held as soon as practically possible after giving twenty one days written notice of the date, venue, and agenda. 5. a) All Club members must also join the St Margaretsbury Sports & Social Club. b) Application for initial membership of the Club with accompanying fee shall be made to the Hon Secretary or Treasurer along with payment for membership of the Sports & Social Club. c) Membership of the Club is not authorised until the appropriate subscription has been paid. d) Levels of membership fees are proposed annually at the AGM by the Treasurer and/or committee. These must be approved or modified with agreement (by voting if necessary) at the A.G.M.

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e) Fees are payable on May 1 st. Members who have not paid by June 30th may have been deemed to have resigned from the Club. f) The Hon Treasurer has discretion to reduce the membership fee for applicants joining after 3 months or later during the playing year which commences May 1st. g) The committee reserves the right to suspend or expel any member or members for serious misconduct or offensive behaviour after due warning. Any decisions should be ratified at the following committee meeting. h) Any member or members expelled from the Tennis Club have the right of appeal to the Trust committee for re-instatement. The Tennis committee has the equivalent right to present its views on the matter to the Trust committee. The Trust committee’s decision will resolve the matter. 6. a) Committee meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Chairman, but a minimum of two meetings are to be held annually. Seven days written notice of the date, venue, and agenda are to be provided by the Hon Secretary. b) A special committee meeting may be called by the Chairman on receipt of a written request from four committee members. Seven days notice of the date, venue, and reason for the meeting is to be given. 7. a) A quorum of five members is needed to constitute a meeting, one of which must be the Chairman, Hon Secretary or Hon Treasurer b) In the absence of the Chairman, the Hon Secretary or Hon Treasurer is to act as Chairman. c) If an issue is not resolved by the committee with full agreement, the Chairman may require or agree to a ballot. All committee members except those co-opted may vote. A simple majority shall decide the ballot. d) The Chairman or Acting Chairman shall have the casting vote in the event of a drawn ballot. 8. The following categories are available for membership: Full Members - Single Adult, Couples & Families, Junior [& Student], Single Pensioner (as defined by the Sports & Social club), Pensioner Couples Off Peak - Single Adult, Couples & Families, Single Pensioner, Pensioner Couples. 9. The committee of the Club shall be responsible for: a) If necessary determining the maximum numbers of members of the Club. Then priority is to be given to new applicants connected to the parishes of Stanstead Abbotts, Great Amwell and St Margarets.

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b) Raising of funds, keeping proper books of account for all monies received or paid out on behalf of the club, control of expenditure, overseeing of assets, disposal of assets, allocation of court time, court rules, use of courts by visitors, entry into competitions, social events, and the general well-being of the club. c) To these ends, applying the approved guidelines attached as an Addendum to this Constitution document. 10. Members are responsible for the supply of their own tennis balls and equipment unless authorised otherwise by the committee. Appropriate tennis footwear must be worn when on court. 11. For all other matters not directly covered by these rules, members accept the authority of the committee according to the principles of clause 7. 12. a) If at any general meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting of the Club within one month to discuss and vote on the resolution. b) If at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the full members present at the meeting, the committee shall thereupon, or at such time as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club. c) After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets of the Club shall be given to the St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground Trust or some other voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of the Club at the discretion of the Committee.

Adopted by the St Margaretsbury Tennis Club at its Annual General Meeting March 2010

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Addendum to the Constitution of St Margaretsbury Tennis Club Financial Control 1. The Hon Treasurer is authorised to direct the financial operation of the Club. He is duly authorised to open bank accounts, transfer funds between accounts, and regulate the financial affairs of the Club in a fit and legal manner. 2. a) The Hon Treasurer is authorised to purchase goods, services, chattels up to the value of £75.00. b) All cheques and NS&I and/or other club account withdrawals must be signed by two of the committee members specified in the Bank Mandate. c) For amounts between £75 and £500, full details are to be minuted at the next committee meeting. d) All liabilities over the value of £500 must be prior-approved by the committee at a properly constituted meeting. e) Any committee member receiving a pecuniary advantage over £100 by an action for the Club must declare his interest to the committee, which should be minuted. f) For actions accepted at an AGM or EGM as being of significant benefit to the Club, the committee are authorised to take on appropriate loans and debts [up to but not exceeding the liquid assets of the Club]. 3. The financial year of the Club will end on 31st December. 4. A statement of Annual Accounts of the Club will be presented by the Treasurer or his representative at the Annual General Meeting. Court Rules 1. All players are to present themselves on court in a neat and tidy manner wearing appropriate tennis footwear. 2. All members are to act in a courteous manner, observing court etiquette. 3. All members must keep the courts and surrounds in good condition, and make every effort not to cause damage. 4. When appropriate, players must vacate the courts after playing one set (maximum eleven games). 5 Club court sessions are for Senior members and invited Juniors. Junior sessions should be

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arranged as possible. The timings of club sessions and arranged inter-club matches have priority. All members may play at other times subject to guidelines laid down by the committee to ensure court sharing. A calendar or similar is provided for booking to avoid clashes. 6. For club sessions, to decide who can play on each court as it becomes available, the court playing rules displayed in the club hut should be followed. 7. If a new member is deemed after 2-3 court sessions to be below standard, he/she may be requested to seek improvement in standard before attending again. Where possible, appropriate coaching sessions should be arranged for the newcomer. 8. The last person or persons on court are responsible for the locking of the court gates, replacing the key in the club hut, locking the club hut, and securing the facilities in good order. 9. A visitor may play at the Club courts as a guest, paying the due fee each time, on five different dates, but no more, in one playing year, unless he/she lives more than 25 miles away from the club when no limit applies. If a guest subsequently joins the Club, the subscription will be reduced by the amount of visitor fees paid.

Adopted by the St Margaretsbury Tennis Club at its Annual General Meeting March 2010

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