NORTH WEST RACING CLUB CONSTITUTION
(Draft version dated 30th Sept 2005)
1. The Club shall be called NORTH WEST RACING CLUB. Any future change to the name would need to be passed at the club AGM based on a simple majority of members voting for/against the proposed change.
2. The objects of the Club shall be:-
a) to encourage attendance at horse race meetings;
b) to give support to the racing industry for example by awarding trophies, sponsoring races, or in such other manner as shall seem appropriate;
c) to promote and encourage interest in racing, particularly in North West England and North Wales, by outside
means, including shows, concessions, excursions and other schemes appropriate to the objects of the Club;
d) to provide for the mutual benefit of the members by social meetings and otherwise.
3. Racegoers or anyone else who agrees with the objects of the club are qualified for membership.
4. Every candidate for full membership of the club shall sign the membership application form provided by the Club and give all particulars required by the Committee with an undertaking to
be bound by the Constitution and bye-laws of the Club after election to Membership.
5. The election of candidates shall be by the Membership Secretary or in the case of disputes by the Club Committee
6. On being so elected by the Committee the candidate will, upon payment of an annual/pro rata subscription, be issued with a Club Membership Card, which shall not be transferable, and be entitled to take advantage of any concessions, privileges and facilities as may from time to time be granted to members of the Club.
7. The Committee may confer honorary membership to an individual in recognition of outstanding and exceptional service to the Club. Honorary Memberships will be reviewed/updated annually by the Membership Secretary.
8. The Club's membership year shall run from the 1st March to the following 28th/29th February inclusive.
9. E Membership (e mail membership) may be allocated to people who subscribe to certain mailing lists managed by the club. They will not receive copies of the club magazine and if attending club events will pay the same admission price as a members guest.
10a. The Committee shall be elected annually and shall consist of four officers - Chairman, Deputy Chairman (new), Membership Secretary and Treasurer and no more than nine other committee members who will be allocated specific/general roles as appropriate.
10b. It shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and, subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual General Meeting following their election.
10c. The Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur until the end of the current year.
10d. Retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
10e. The Committee (either individually to set levels or jointly) shall control the management of the Club and the carrying-out of its objects and in particular the setting and disposal of the Annual Subscription in accordance with the Constitution and Bye-Laws after payment of the proper expenses of management and other outgoings duly authorised by such Committee.
10f. Individual committee members shall have authority to commit the club to expenditure of up to £100 per item/event although for costs above this level the expenditure should be passed at a committee meeting/AGM.
10g. Committee Members who maintain an active role shall be given honorary club membership during their term of office. Those who do not fulfil active roles may be classed as Associate Committee Members paying the usual membership fee.
10h. Committee Members shall pay the usual entry fees at events other than those where they are acting as organiser where free entry will be provided.
10i. Out Of Pocket Expenses shall be re-imbursed to committee members who undertake club events and attend meetings etc on behalf of the club upon provision of claims to the Club Treasurer.
10j. No Committee Member or related party shall receive any other payment from the club unless duly authorised at an AGM/Committee Meeting.
11. The Committee may invest surplus monies and funds of the club not immediately required for the purposes within the Club's objects and shall not be responsible for any loss incurred thereby
provided that the investment made conforms with the provisions of the Trustee Investment Act 1961 as if the investment were of Trustee Funds. Any income arising from such investment shall be duly expended only in the support and promotion of horse racing and / or the current expenses of the Club.
12. The Committee shall have power to alter the Constitution but no such alteration shall take effect until the same has been confirmed at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting convened for the purpose.
13. The Committee shall have power to make Bye-Laws for regulating the conduct and affairs of the Club provided the same are not inconsistent with this Constitution. Such Bye-Laws shall be
intimated in writing to the Members and shall be binding on all members. The Committee shall meet at regular intervals and with effect from 2006 shall keep Minutes of its proceedings; the Minute Book shall be open for inspection by any club member attending the AGM prior to such meeting.
14. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member who shall offend against the rules of the club or whose conduct in their opinion shall render him unfit for membership of the club. Before any such member is expelled the Membership Secretary shall give him seven days notice sent to the last known permanent address to attend a meeting of the Committee and shall inform him of the complaints made against him. No member shall be expelled without first having the aforesaid opportunity of appearing before the Committee and answering the complaints made against him or not, nor unless at least two thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his or her
expulsion.
14. An Annual General Meeting of the club shall be held within three months of the end of each calendar year to transact the following business:
a) to receive a report on the Club's activities in the preceding year;
b) to receive, and if approved, to adopt a statement of the Club's accounts to the end of the preceding financial year. Such statement of account shall be signed by the by the Treasurer (Do we want an independent auditor as well?)
c) to consider and, if approved, to adopt and sanction any duly made
alteration of Membership Fees and the Constitution;
e) to appoint the officers and other members of the Committee;
f) to deal with any special matter which the Committee desire to bring to the attention of the members and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee in relation to the following years club activities and general encouragement of racing.
g) Voting at all club meetings to be by simple majority or where vote evenly split the Chairman (or Deputy) will exercise a casting vote.
h) A quorum at the meeting will be deemed to exist once attended by a total of 10 full members, including the committee.
15. Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all current full members not less than twenty one days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
16. A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee and shall be held within twenty eight days of the receipt of a written request signed by not less than six full members specifying the objective of the meeting for any of the following purposes:
a) to consider and, if approved, sanction any duly made alterations to the Constitution;
b) to deal with any special matter that the Committee may wish to propose to the members to encourage club activities relating to horse racing in North West England & North Wales;
c) to deal with a special matter those members requiring the meeting may desire to place before the club.
17. Notice convening the Special General Meeting shall be given to all current members not less than twenty one days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
18. At Committee Meetings and general meetings, in the absence of the Chairman elected at the AGM a Vice Chairman shall be elected to preside who shall have a casting or additional vote in the event of equality of votes. A quorum will exist at Committee Meetings once 4 current committee members are present.
19. The Club shall not be carried on for the making of profits for itself or its members, and no club member may sell, assign, transfer, share or otherwise part or deal with any rights concessions
or privileges to which such member may be entitled as a member of the North West Club.
20. No Club member shall be entitled to any refund of annual subscriptions donated to the Club (except in the event of winding up or merger) nor shall any excess of incomings over outgoings or any asset of the Club be at any time distributed to the members or any one of the members; the Club shall not be disbanded nor its affairs wound up until any remaining assets have been fully realised and fully disbursed in accordance with the objects of the Club.
21. Any resolution to wind up the club or merger with another club would be subject to a full members vote at either the AGM or Special General Meeting at which time the ‘rights’ of 5 year and Life Members would be taken into account.
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