Club General Rules
ST MAWES SAILING CLUB GENERAL RULES
Name
1. The St Mawes Sailing Club Ltd is a private limited by guarantee, registered in England and company limited by guarantee, registered in Wales under Company Number 8406149, the England and Wales under Company Number running of which is governed by its Articles and 8406149, the running of which is governed by its these Rules. Articles and these Rules.
Objectives
2. The objectives of the Club are primarily to encourage amateur sailing and to provide a venue and appropriate facilities for all those interested in activities afloat, regardless of age, race, gender or experience. The Club is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be reinvested back into the Club and will be used to maintain or improve the Clubs equipment or facilities. No profit or surplus will be distributed.
General Committee Members
3. The Members of the General Committee shall be limited to eleven in number and shall consist twelve of a Commodore, a Vice Commodore, a Rear Commodore Sailing, a Rear Commodore House, all of whom shall be Flag Officers, a Secretary, a Treasurer and other Members who shall occupy such offices as the General Committee may from time to time determine. The Officers and General Committee Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year, on election shall become ex-officio Members of the General Committee until 30th September of that year and shall hold office from 1st October until 30th September following. Only elected members may be Directors of the Club. The General Committee may co-opt additional Members as required.
Committees
4a. The general and financial affairs of the Club shall be managed by the General Committee.
4b. The regular business of the Club shall be conducted by such Working Committees as may from time to time be appointed by the General Committee from the Members elected at the AGM and other Club Members co-opted to make a specific contribution. The Chairmen of the Working Committees of the Club shall report annually to the AGM and monthly, or as necessary, to the General Committee. The Working Committees may be empowered by the General Committee to expend moneys and act without further reference to the General Committee in accordance with policies and budgets previously approved by the General Committee. The Commodore or his representative shall be a member ex-officio of all Working Committees.
5. In the event of a vacancy among the Officers and members of the General Committee occurring between Annual General Meetings, such vacancy may be filled by a Member appointed by the Commodore with the agreement of the General Committee.
6. Meetings of the General or Working Committees may be convened by any Officer or any 4 committee members not being Officers. Half of the Members of a Committee shall form a quorum. In case of equality of votes the Chairman of the relevant Committee shall have a second or casting vote.
Election of Officers and General Committee
7. The election of the Officers and Members of the General Committee shall take place in the following manner:
7a. Any two Members of the Club who are entitled to vote at General Meetings may nominate a Member as an Officer or Member of the General Committee. Nominations signed by the proposer and seconder, including a declaration signed by the person nominated of willingness to serve if elected, shall be sent in writing to the Secretary to reach him not less than 7 days before the time of the Annual General Meeting. The names of the Members so nominated shall then be posted on the Club notice board, by the Secretary, no more than four days after receiving the nomination.
7b. At the Annual General Meeting a ballot shall be taken to elect the Officers and Members of the General Committee.
7c. No Member of the Club shall be eligible for election as an Officer unless the provisions of paragraph 7a of this Rule have been complied with, except that a Member who is nominated as an Officer of the Club, but who is not elected, may have his name included in the ballot as a Committee Member.
7d. No Member who is an employee of the Club shall be eligible for nomination.
Property
8a. The property and equipment of the Club shall be held by the Club. Any disposal or purchase of freehold or leasehold property may only be made by the Directors following a resolution proposed to a General Meeting and authorised by that meeting.
8b. In compliance with any resolution passed pursuant to Rule 8(a) the Directors may on behalf of the Club:
(i) Buy, take on lease or otherwise acquire and hold any property,
(ii) Sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any property held by them,
(iii) Borrow money and charge the whole or any part of any property held by them, as security for the money so borrowed and for its repayment, provided that no purchaser, lessee or mortgagee shall be concerned to enquire whether any such resolution has been passed.
8c. The Directors are authorised to purchase or dispose of any equipment necessary for the running of the Club.
Bye-laws
9. The General Committee shall have power from time to time to make, alter and repeal Bye-laws regulating the use of the Clubhouse and Quay by Members, the admission of guests to the clubhouse and generally for the good conduct of the affairs of the Club. Such Bye-laws shall be binding on all Members, except in circumstances where they are inconsistent with the Rules or the Articles of the Club. Any matter arising which is not provided for by these Rules or the Bye-laws of the Club shall be referred to the General Committee whose decision shall be final.
Alteration of Rules
10. The Rules of the Club may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any General Meeting provided that such resolution is passed by a majority of 75% (Special Resolution) of the Members present voting at the meeting. Any Member wishing to propose any alteration to the Rules must give notice in writing of such proposed alteration to the Honorary Secretary 21 days before the meeting and a copy of such notice shall be posted on the Club notice board and sent to every Member of the Club with the notice convening the meeting.
Classes of Members
11. The Club shall consist of Full Members, Life Members, Honorary Members, Honorary Life Members and such other classes of non-voting Members that may be approved by the General Committee from time to time.
Election of Members
12. Applications for membership other than Temporary Members (and Temporary Sailing Members) shall be made to the Membership Secretary, who will place them before the General Committee. An applicant may be provisionally elected by the Membership Secretary, such election being subject to confirmation by the General Committee at its next meeting. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an interest in sailing and the application should be supported if possible by two Members of more than two years standing. Where this is not possible they should arrange to meet with a General Committee member who will help with the application. Persons may not be admitted to membership or be admitted as candidates for membership to any of the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their nomination and application for membership and their admission. During the periods of at least two days mentioned above, the Membership Secretary shall list the names and addresses of those concerned and display them prominently in the Clubhouse. Membership shall be effective from the first of the month following election by the General Committee.
Resignation of Members
13. A Member may resign from the Club at any time by giving notice in writing to the Membership Secretary but remains liable for his subscription for the current year.
Members Addresses
14. Every Member shall from time to time communicate to the Club Administrator the E-mail address to which he wishes notices and other communications from the Club to be sent. All notices required by these Rules to be given to Members shall be deemed to have been duly given if sent to such address, unless the Member has requested in writing to the Honorary Secretary that they be sent by post.
Expulsion/Suspension of Members
15. If any Member is charged with such conduct as, in the opinion of the General Committee, is prejudicial to the good name of the Club, he shall be invited to attend a meeting of the General Committee and give to them any explanation he may think fit. If, after inquiry, the General Committee finds that he has been guilty of such conduct, he may be cautioned, suspended or expelled. No Member shall be expelled or suspended unless a resolution for his expulsion or suspension is passed by Special Resolution of the Members of the General Committee voting at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. Any Member so expelled may not take part in a Club race either as a helmsman or crew. Any yacht belonging to any expelled Member shall not be permitted to take part in a Club race.
Subscriptions
16a. The rates of subscriptions for each class of Membership with voting rights shall be presented by the General Committee at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting. These may be passed by Special Resolution by the voting Members present. The General Committee shall determine the rate of subscriptions and enrolment fees for all non-voting Members. The Club will ensure that the rates of subscription and enrolment fees will be set at such a level as to ensure that they do not pose a significant obstacle to Membership or use of the Clubs facilities. However, it retains the right to set these at a level to maintain the current standard of facilities and activities of the Club and to facilitate its further development in the interests of the Membership.
16b. Members appointed during the year shall pay the enrolment fee and the proportion of the annual Membership Fee due for the rest of the year.
17. All annual subscriptions shall be payable in advance and be due on the first day of October each year. The names of Members whose full subscriptions remain unpaid on the last day of October shall be removed from the list of Members but retained for retrieval on a separate list for up to one year during which time, subject to an explanation acceptable to the General Committee, they may be reinstated as Members on payment of all arrears without the payment of a new enrolment fee or the need to apply for re-election by the General Committee. Only those Members whose subscriptions are fully paid at the time of going to print will have their names included in the Yearbook.
General Meetings
18. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of August in each year. The business at such meeting shall be the election of the Officers, General Committee Members and Auditor, the presentation and approval of the accounts and any other business (notice of items of business on which a vote is sought shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary 28 days before such meeting).
19. A Special General Meeting of the Members may be convened by the General Committee or on the requisition of any 30 Members who are entitled to vote at General Meetings. In the latter case, such requisition shall state the wording of any resolution to be brought before the meeting. The Meeting shall be held within two calendar months of receipt of the requisition by the Honorary Secretary.
20. The Honorary Secretary shall, at least 14 days before any General Meeting, send to every Member at his e-mail address in the Club Register, a notice of such meeting stating the business which will be brought before it and, where appropriate, the wording of any proposed resolutions. The Honorary Secretary shall also include a notice stating which members of the General Committee are willing to serve for the following year and the Committee's nominations, if any, for vacancies, together with the audited accounts for the prior financial year and the proposed level of subscriptions and classes of membership for the following year: Any Member wishing to receive a printed copy of such notices by post should inform the Honorary Secretary in writing.
21. Every Member of the Club shall be entitled to attend General Meetings, but only Full, Honorary and Life Members shall be entitled to vote.
22. At all General Meetings the chair shall be taken by the Commodore or, at his nomination, either a member of the General Committee, or a Member nominated by the General Committee or, failing such nomination, by a Member chosen by the meeting. Every item of business (except as otherwise expressly provided by these Rules) shall be decided by a majority of votes present and every Member entitled to vote in accordance with Rule 20 shall have one vote. In case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The quorum at a General Meeting shall be 30 Members who are entitled to vote. A Member whose subscription for the current year is unpaid shall not be entitled to vote.
23. At any meeting a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has been carried, or carried by a particular majority, or lost, or not carried by a particular majority, shall be conclusive.
Licensing Hours
24. The Club having been granted a Premises Licence authorising the supply of alcohol by the Designated Premises Supervisor (the Franchisee) to Members and their signed-in bona fide guests of the age of 18 and over, visiting competitors and their supporters. The permitted hours for the supply of such intoxicating liquor shall be as listed in the Yearbook. Signed-in guests, visiting competitors and their supporters, shall be allowed to purchase drinks.
Accounts
25. The Club accounts shall be made up to 30 September in each year and shall be prepared by the Independent Accountants appointed at the Annual General Meeting. A copy of the prior year's accounts shall be included in the Call-up Papers for the Annual General Meeting.
Burgee
26. A Member letting his yacht or boat (except to another Member of the Club) shall not leave on board any Club burgee and shall not have the burgee painted on any part of the yacht or boat.
Club Races
27. All yachts taking part in Club races shall have on board a Member or temporary Member of the Club, or of a Club affiliated to the Port of Falmouth Sailing Association, who is recognised to be in charge of the yacht as owner or owner's representative.
28. The General Committee may enter into reciprocal arrangements with other yacht and Sailing Clubs in the district whereby the Members of those Clubs, if not resident in St. Mawes, may enter their boats in Club races without payment of a subscription.
Data Protection
29. Membership of the Club and acceptance of these Rules by the Member will be deemed to constitute consent to the holding of relevant personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts currently in force.
Dissolution
30. The Club may be dissolved by a resolution proposed to and authorised by a General Meeting and in this event then any assets remaining after settlement of all outstanding accounts will be passed either to another local CASC sports club, the RYA, or a local charity.
Interpretation
31. In the construction of these Rules words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine.
Last updated 17:34 on 12 June 2025