A: Name and Status
1. The club shall be called "The Lillington Free Church Table Tennis Club".
2. The club shall be affiliated to the Leamington and District Table Tennis Association, the Warwickshire Table Tennis Association and Table Tennis England.
B: Objects
The objects of the club shall be:-
1. To co-operate with the Lillington Free Church to provide a healthy, constructive and enjoyable activity for all, but especially for young people in the local community.
2. To promote and encourage table tennis.
3. To encourage its members, at all levels of ability, to improve their playing skills and, where appropriate, to acquire coaching skills.
4. To promote the social interests of its members.
5. To do anything which is incidental or conducive to such objects.
C: Membership
1. Any person may apply to the secretary for membership of any class. The committee may admit an applicant to membership of any class.
2. If the applications for any membership class exceed the playing facilities available, the committee shall establish a waiting list for that class and admit members as vacancies arise. Unless the committee decide otherwise, priority shall be by date of application, but the families of existing members and regular members of the Lillington Free Church congregation and their families shall have priority over others.
3. There shall be four classes of membership as follows:
a. class A membership for those who regularly represent the club in competition.
b. class B membership for those who regularly use club playing facilities, but do not normally represent the club in competition.
c. class C membership for those who do not normally use club playing facilities; in particular for the families of members in other classes.
d. class D membership for those who do not come into any of the above categories.
4. The committee may change the class to which a member is assigned at the request of, or after consultation with, the member.
5. The committee shall determine the membership subscriptions and the dates by which subscriptions are due. The committee may prescribe different subscriptions for different classes of membership and for different categories within a class if it thinks fit.
6. The committee may suspend a member whose subscription is in arrears until the subscription is paid.
7. A member may resign by giving notice in writing to the secretary.
8. The committee may expel a member if they consider their continued membership is not in the best interests of the club. Before doing so, the committee shall tell the member in writing for the reason for the proposed expulsion and shall give the member opportunity to make any representations he wishes.
D: General Meetings
1. The committee shall convene an annual general meeting in June or July each year.
2. The business of the annual general meeting shall include:-
a. receiving the report of the committee for the previous year.
b. receiving the annual accounts for the previous financial year together with the balance sheet and the report of the auditor.
c. electing the officers, representatives and auditor for the coming year.
3. The committee may convene an extraordinary general meeting whenever it thinks fit. In addition, the committee shall convene an extraordinary general meeting within forty-two days of receipt of a request by at least twenty members in writing specifying the business to be discussed.
4. The committee shall decide the business to be discussed at a general meeting (which shall include any items specified in rule D2 and D3 above) and shall ensure that all members receive at least fourteen days notice of the meeting specifying this business. The accidental failure to give a member notice shall not invalidate the meeting.
5. No business, other than that specified in rule D2 above, shall be transacted at a general meeting unless at least twenty members are present.
6. If the notice convening the meeting specifies the proposed resolution and at least twenty members are present (but not otherwise) a general meeting may:-
a. amend the constitution and rules.
b. dismiss any or all of the officers and representatives.
c. issue binding instructions to the officers or committee.
E: The Committee
1. The committee shall consist of the officers and not more than ten other representatives of the members.
2. The committee shall represent and be responsible to the members in all matters consistent with the objects and shall manage the affairs of the club.
3. All property of the club shall be vested in the committee on behalf of the club.
4. The committee may appoint sub committees and may delegate such powers to them and the officers as it thinks fit.
5. The secretary shall convene committee meetings as decided by the committee or at the request of the chairman or three committee members. The secretary shall ensure that all committee members receive reasonable notice of committee meetings. The accidental failure to give a committee member notice shall not affect the validity of the meeting.
6. The committee may, if it thinks fit, appoint a president and vice presidents and may later end such appointments.
7. The committee may fill any vacancy for officer or auditor.
8. The committee may elect additional representatives.
9. No business shall be transacted at any committee meeting unless at least three members are present.
F: Officers, Represntatives and Auditor
1. The officers (namely chairman, secretary and treasurer) shall be members aged eighteen or over.
2. The auditor shall be a person aged eighteen or over and need not be a member. Officers, representatives and their families shall be ineligible to be auditor.
3. The officers, representatives and auditor shall take office when they are elected and shall hold office until their successors are elected unless they resign by notice in writing to the secretary or are dismissed by a general meeting.
4. The officers may deputise for each other and the chairman, or failing him the secretary shall exercise all the powers and duties of any office which is vacant or where the holder is unable to act.
G: Meetings
1. The chairman shall preside. If the chairman is absent, the meeting shall appoint a temporary chairman who shall have the powers and duties of the chairman in relation to the conduct of the meeting.
2. The chairman's ruling on matters related to the conduct of the meeting shall be final.
3. If a member persistently disregards the chairman's ruling, the chairman may require him to leave the meeting.
4. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
5. The secretary shall take the minutes and shall ensure that they are approved by the next meeting and signed by the chairman. Any member may inspect the minutes.
H: Elections
1. The chairman shall be the returning officer. If the chairman is a candidate, the meeting shall appoint a temporary chairman to act as returning officer for the election concerned.
2. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
3. Every candidate shall be proposed by the committee or by two other members and shall consent to nomination.
4. If the number of nominations for any election does not exceed the number of vacancies, the candidates shall be elected unopposed.
5. If the number of nominations in any election exceeds the number of vacancies, each member entitled to vote at the meeting shall have one vote by secret ballot in respect of each vacancy and the chairman shall declare the candidates with the most votes down to the number elected.
6. The results of elections shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
I: Financial Procedures
1. The financial year shall end on 31st May each year.
2. Immediately after 31st May each year, the treasurer shall submit the annual accounts and the balance sheet to the auditor together with all receipts, cash books, bank statements and the like.
3. The auditor shall audit the accounts and submit a report to the committee and the annual general meeting. Any member may inspect the audited accounts and balance sheet.
4. The auditor may carry out an additional audit whenever he thinks fit and shall carry out an additional audit if the committee so request.
5. The treasurer may hold petty cash up to a maximum of one hundred pounds, or such other amount as the committee decides. Any money over this limit shall be paid into a club bank or building society account. The treasurer shall operate any account as directed by the committee. The authorised signatiories shall be the chairman, secretaty, treasurer and such representatives aged eighteen or over as the committee decides. Payments from the account shall be signed by any two of these.
6. As far as reasonably practicable, the treasurer shall give and obtain receipts for cash transactions.
J: The Constitution and Rules
1. The officers shall each keep a copy of the constitution and rules which shall be open to inspection by any member.
2. The constitution and rules may only be amended by a motion contained in the notice of a general meeting and carried out at that meeting when at least twenty members are present.
3. The club may only be disbanded by a motion contained in the notice of a general meeting of which at least twenty-eight days notice has been given to every member and carried at that meeting by a majority of at least three quarters of those present and voting when at least twenty members are present.
4. If the club is disbanded, its assets shall be divided equally between the Lillington Free Church and the Leamington and District Table Tennis Asociation.
Adopted by the Annual General Meeting of the Lillington Free Church Table Tennis Club.
Monday 9th July 2018.