CONSTITUTION & RULES
Incorporating Amendments
Approved at the March 1999 AGM, 2000 AGM and 2016 AGM
NAME
1. The name of the Club shall be “The Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club”.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2. The aim of the Club is to assist and encourage members to achieve the maximum pleasure and benefit from motor boating leisure time pursuits
To achieve our aims we incorporate the following objectives:- to foster, encourage and develop motor yacht and motor boat cruising and with this in view to organise or subscribe to and assist competitions and exhibitions relative to motor yachts, motor boats or vessels propelled either solely or in part by mechanical power, and to offer prizes at such competitions and exhibitions or otherwise as may be thought fit, and also to afford to members of the Club such support and assistance whether moral, pecuniary or otherwise, as may be thought fit, towards the protection and defence of their rights as owners of such craft, as well as to promote or subscribe to and assist clubs or associations, whether incorporated or not, having for their objectives the dissemination of information relative to motor yachts, motor boats and vessels, propelled as aforesaid, or the furtherance of motor yachts and motor boat cruising or competitions; to promote social intercourse amongst the members; and generally to do all such other acts or things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of these objectives.
Revenue will be used solely to fund Club activities and or Charitable Donations.
MEMBERSHIP
3. Membership of the Club is open to all who are interested in furthering the aims of the Club. Admission shall be by ballot of the elected and co-opted members of the committee which shall be conducted as decided by the committee. The name and address of any person wishing to join the Club together with the name and signature of one member as proposer and another member as seconder shall be sent to the Secretary who shall raise the matter at the next appropriate meeting of the committee. To be elected, a candidate must receive a 75% majority and at least four persons must vote.
Membership of the Club will be in the following categories:-
a) Ordinary Membership. Ordinary Membership is open to all Ladies and Gentlemen interested in furthering the objectives of the Club.
b) Family Membership. Family Membership confers full membership on husbands/wives/partners and Cadet Membership upon any children up to and including the age of 17 years.
c) Associate Membership. The partner of a deceased member may also become an Associate Member. Sons and daughters of current or deceased members may become Associate Members up to and including the age of 25 years.
d) Cadet Membership. Sons and daughters of members and other young people, up to and including the age of 17 years , may be admitted as Cadet Members.
e) Honorary Membership. Honorary Membership may be conferred by the Committee at their discretion. Honorary members shall have the same privileges as ordinary members.
The Committee shall have power to vary the classification of members.
4. The entrance fees and yearly subscriptions will be determined by the Club Members at the Annual General Meeting. The annual subscription shall be payable on the fourteenth day of April in each year, and unless the Secretary shall receive from members previous to the Annual General Meeting, written intimation of their intention to resign from the Club, they will be liable for that year’s subscription. The name of any member whose current year’s subscription is not paid before 1st July shall be deleted from the List of Members. Members elected between the first day of October in each year and the date when the annual subscription next becomes payable shall not be liable for a subscription for that period of the year of election.
5. No member shall take part in any proceedings of the Club, or compete for a prize, unless all subscriptions or monies which may be due to the Club by that member have been paid.
6. The Committee shall have power to expel any member, as a result of misconduct or for any other reason sufficient in their sole opinion to warrant same, and that by ballot at a special meeting of the Committee of which at least seven days notice of such a meeting shall be given. Expulsion shall require a majority of at least three to two to expel a member; and no such ballot shall be valid unless six members at least have voted. A member expelled shall, ipso facto, forfeit all right to or claims upon the Club or its property or funds.
7. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of a Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, Honorary Commodore, the immediate past Commodore, and up to twelve Committee members, all of whom have the right to vote. The Club may also appoint a Secretary/Treasurer who shall sit on the Committee to undertake his/her duties and take minutes but shall not have the right to vote. The quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be five. The Vice Commodore and the Rear Commodore shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office from year to year, and shall be eligible for re-election. The Commodore shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and will hold office for not more than three years. Notice of the intention to stand for election to the Committee shall be submitted, along with the name and signature of one member as proposer and another member as seconder, to the Secretary not less than 7 days before the Annual General Meeting. Committee members will be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting and hold office for a maximum of three years and shall be eligible for re-election. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the Committee, the same may be filled by co-option by the Committee and such members shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. The Secretary and Treasurer will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. Either one qualified Chartered Accountant or two members shall be appointed as Auditor or Auditors at the Annual General Meeting to examine the state of the Club Funds and report thereon. The Committee shall have power to appoint permanent or temporary officials as may be deemed necessary.
8. The Committee shall set down and revise as necessary the rules governing competitions and exhibitions.
9. The Committee shall have power to appoint a member of the Club as Honorary Commodore.
GENERAL MEETINGS
10. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held during March, on such day and at such hour and place as the Committee may from time to time appoint notice of which shall be sent by the Secretary to each member of the Club at least fourteen days before the meeting. The Secretary shall also summon a special meeting on receiving directions to that effect from the Commodore, or, in his absence, from the Vice or Rear Commodore, or on a requisition signed by not less than seven members – such requisition to state the object of the proposed meeting. At all general or special meetings seven members shall form a quorum.
11. The Senior Flag Officer present shall take the chair at all meetings of the Club, and should no Flag Officer be present, the meeting shall appoint a Chairman. The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote, and also a casting vote in case of an equality.
12. The Secretary shall keep a Minute Book of the proceedings of the Club, to be produced at every meeting.
ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
13. The Treasurer shall keep correct accounts and books showing the financial affairs and intromissions of the Club, including a Cash Book containing a correct account of the money received and disbursed by him on account of the Club; and upon any member requiring an inspection thereof they shall be produced at the next general meeting. An abstract of the Treasurer’s accounts for each year, certified by the Auditor/Auditors, shall be printed and a copy thereof transmitted to each member of the Club.
REGISTER OF YACHTS
14. Every yacht belonging to a member of the Club shall be registered in a book to be kept for that purpose by the Secretary, such register to state the name, engine, and dimensions of each vessel, with owner’s name. Yacht owners on their election as members of the Club shall furnish the Secretary with said particulars and, in case of any alteration affecting the foregoing, the same shall be intimated to the Secretary. Any member selling his yacht, or acquiring a new vessel, is required, after the transfer or purchase, to intimate the same to the Secretary, with the particulars thereof.
15. The Club Burgee shall be a golden shield with thistle thereon, surmounted with crown, and also a golden propeller, all on a triangular blue ground. Ministry of Defence Warrants to fly the Blue Ensign on British Registered yachts must be applied for through the Club Secretary. The Club buttons shall bear the same device as the burgee. The Commodore’s Flag shall be a dark blue swallow tailed flag with the Club insignia as for the burgee thereon. The Vice-Commodore’s Flag shall be a dark blue swallow tailed flag with the Club insignia as for the burgee surmounted by one white ball thereon. The Rear-Commodore’s Flag shall be a dark blue swallow tailed flag with the Club’s insignia as for the burgee surmounted by two white balls thereon. Former Commodores of the Club shall be entitled to fly a dark blue rectangular flag with the Club insignia as for the burgee thereon.
16. Yachts belonging to members while on loan or charter to non-members shall not be considered as belonging to the Club and shall not fly the Club’s Flags, or be entitled to the privileges of the Club.
ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION AND RULES
17. Any member wishing to propose any alteration of or addition to the Constitution of the Club, must give notice thereof to the Secretary four weeks at least before the next general or special meeting, when a vote shall be taken thereon and the question decided by a majority.
March 2016
Issued 17th March 2016
