South Downs Harness Club Rules,
as at June 2005
Title
1. The Club shall be known as “South Downs
Harness Club”
Objects
2. The objects of the Club shall be -
(a) to encourage the driving of horses and ponies as a sport and recreation,
to promote good fellowship amongst members and to improve and maintain the
standard of driving and horsemanship.
(b) to organise rallies, instructional meetings, lectures and competitive
events and other activities deemed to further the objects.
(c) to be affiliated to the British Driving Society
(d) to concern itself with any object which will benefit the members of the
Club and promote the objects.
Membership
3. This shall consist of persons who, having been elected by the
Committee or invited to renew membership, have paid the due subscription for
the current period and only those who are fully paid up Members of the Club
one month prior to an event may participate in such events. Membership shall
be deemed to commence from the date on which application was received by the
Chairman, Hon. Secretary or a Committee Member and not necessarily the date
on the application form. Honorary membership may be conferred by the
Committee upon any persons deemed by them to have rendered notable service
to the Club.
4. Membership shall be divided into the following categories :-
(a) Full membership
(b) Family membership which shall entitle parents and children under 18
years of age to the privileges of full membership except that only parents
may vote at the Club’s Annual General and Special Meetings.
(c) Associate membership which entitles the holder to all privileges of the
Club excluding driving in events.
(d) Junior membership which gives the holder the privileges of full
membership and is available to applicants under 18 years of age at the
commencement of the financial year of the Club in which he or she is elected
by the Committee.
(The subscription for each class shall be as determined in accordance with
Rule 12 hereof)
5. Anyone desirous of becoming a member shall forward his or her name and
address to the Chairman, Hon. Secretary or a Committee Member of the Club on
the appropriate Nomination Form, to include a signed declaration agreeing to
abide by Club rules, and a signed declaration that they hold Third Party
Insurance.
6. The annual subscription shall be payable on the first day of the Club's
financial year. Any member whose subscription is more than three months in
arrears may have his or her name removed from the membership list after
written notice has been sent to him or her. Any person joining the Club on
or after 1st October in any year shall be deemed to have paid his or her
subscription for the ensuing year. A joining fee of £10.00 to be paid by all
new members and any current member who has allowed their membership to
lapse.
7. The Committee may refuse to renew membership or during the year expel
from membership of the Club any member who has wilfully disobeyed any of the
rules of the Club or who has, in the opinion of the Committee been guilty of
any conduct derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interest of
the Club, or to suspend from taking part in events for such period as the
Committee thinks fit any member who acts in a manner prejudicial to the
safety of another member. The decision of the Committee shall be final and
binding.
8. Any member of the Club driving a horse or pony in any Club activity must
hold individual third party liability insurance.
9. All horses, ponies and vehicles driven in club events must be the bona
fida property of, or on lease, or loan to Members of the Club. Leased or
loaned horses, ponies or vehicles must have been in the regular care of a
Member for at least one month prior to any club event. All such horses and
ponies to be aged 4 years or over. Members who joined after 1999 must have
completed an Assessment before being allowed to compete in any Horse Driving
Trials put on by the Club.
10. Turnouts for any club event must carry a capable, able groom minimum of
12 years old. Junior whips must be a minimum of 10 years old and carry an
able, capable groom 18 years or over.
Administration
11. The Committee
(a) All Powers of management shall be vested in a Committee consisting of
the Chairman, Honorary Secretary (Joint Secretaries, as the case may be),
Treasurer and eight other Committee members appointed pursuant to Rule 14(b)
hereof. One third shall form a quorum.
(b) At the Annual General Meeting each year one third of the members of the
Committee shall retire, the members who retire being those who have been
longest in office and, as between those who have been in office the same
length of time the members to retire shall be determined by lot. Retiring
members shall be eligible for re-election.
(c) The Vice-Chairman, Hon Secretary and/or Joint Secretaries and Hon
Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Committee from amongst their
number.
(d) The decision of the Committee shall be final unless overruled at a
General Meeting.
(e) The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the
rules and for anything relating to the club, not provided for therein and
their decision shall be final and binding on the members.
(f) The Committee may formulate byelaws for the detailed running of the Club
and elect sub-committees for any special activities of the Club, which the
Committee may authorise. Sub-Committee members need not necessarily be
Members of the Main Committee.
(g) The Committee shall have the power to fill any actual vacancy arising
amongst members of the Committee, but any person so called shall retain
office only until the next following Annual General Meeting, and shall then
be eligible for re-election.
12. The financial year of the Club shall commence on 1st January each year
and the Club accounts shall be audited every three years and on the
appointment of a new Club Treasurer.
13. The annual membership subscription shall be such a sum as shall from
time to time be recommended by the Committee, approved at the next following
Annual General Meeting and applied with effect from 1st October that year.
14. The Committee may appoint annually a President and Vice-President who
shall not, by virtue only of such appointment, become members of the
Committee.
15. The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year to transact the
following business:
(a) To receive and, if approved, to accept a Statement of the Clubs Accounts
up to the end of the preceding year.
(b) To elect the Chairman annually and to fill vacancies on the Committee in
respect of which nominations shall be submitted in writing not less than
fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting.
(c) To deal with any special matter which the Committee may desire to bring
before the members, and to receive suggestions from the members for
consideration by the Committee. Notice convening the General Meeting shall
be sent to members not less than two weeks before the meeting and shall
specify the matters to be dealt with.
16. A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by a
request, signed by not less than five members, specifying the business to be
discussed. The Secretary shall give all members ten days notice of the date
of such a meeting, and shall specify in such notice matters to be dealt with
at such a meeting.
17. Notice may be given to any member by post to the address registered in
the records of the Club. If any member has no address in the United Kingdom
such member shall not be entitled to receive any notice. The accidental
omission to give notice of a meeting to a member, or the non-receipt of a
notice of a meeting shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.
18. These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any
Annual or Special General Meeting, provided that no such resolution shall be
deemed to have been passed unless carried by a majority of the members
present and voting thereon, and provided that seven days prior notice has
been sent to all members stating the proposed amendment.
19. The Club, its Committee or persons acting on their behalf shall not be
held responsible for any accident or injury to any person or property
however caused.
