The Club Rules
Issued March 1998
Revised October 2003
You may download a PDF copy of the Club Rules.
THE RULES of CROYDON CAMERA CLUB
1 NAME
The Club shall be called 'The Croydon Camera Club".
2 OBJECTS
The objects of the Club shall be to foster social relations between photographers and to help in the general advancement and practice of photography and its applications.
3 MEMBERS
Members may be, subject to these Rules, either amateur or professional photographers, or persons interested in or connected with photography in any of its aspects.
4 ELECTION
Membership shall be open to all persons who may wish to join providing they have been proposed by a Member and accepted by the Council. Members who allow their membership to lapse must re-apply to join.
5 MEMBERSHIP
Membership in all cases shall commence from the date of application, subject to ratification in accordance with Rule 4, and continue year by year until terminated by resignation, default, or expulsion (under Rules 8 or 9). There shall be five classes of Membership:-
a) Full Membership (Including Joint Full Membership) Full Membership entitles a Member, or Members, to all the privileges of the Club.
b) Student Membership. Student Membership entitles the member to all the privileges of the Club and is available to anyone over eighteen years of age who is in full-time further or higher education.
c) Junior Membership. Junior Membership entitles the member to all the privileges of the Club, other than voting rights, and is available to Members under the age of eighteen years at the first day of April when the subscription falls due.
d) Corresponding Membership. On the grounds of being non-resident in Croydon, or its environs, or for other sufficient reasons, Corresponding Members may be admitted by the Council. They shall be entitled to enjoy all the privileges of the Club except that attendance at Meetings shall be at the discretion of the Council.
e) Honorary Members . Upon nomination acceptable to not less than two- thirds of the Council present and voting at a Council Meeting, Honorary Members may be elected at an Annual General Meeting for services rendered to the Club, or for other good reason. They shall be entitled to enjoy all the privileges of the Club without liability to subscription. Their election shall be for a period not exceeding one year.
f) Honorary Life Members. Honorary Life Members may be elected and shall consist of those who have in any way given signal assistance in furthering the welfare of the Club. The manner of their election shall be as provided in Rule 5d and the privileges they enjoy shall be the same as those of Full Members without liability to subscription.
6 VICE PRESIDENTS
For distinction in the field of photography or for distinguished service to the Club, any member may be elected a Vice President. The manner of their election shall be as provided for Honorary members under Rule 5d.
7 SUBSCRIPTIONS
a) The Annual subscription for Full Members, Joint Full Members (Husband and Wife), Junior Members and Corresponding Members shall be determined and approved by the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose and shall be effective from a date to be determined at that Meeting.
b) Subscriptions are due on the first day of April, for the financial year commencing on that day.
c) In the case of new members, a full year's subscription is due on application, but such first subscription shall cover a proportioned part of the year of joining (calculated from the first day of the month in which the application is made) and the remaining proportionate part shall be credited towards the next full year's subscription due on the first day of April.
8 ARREARS
If a Member's subscription shall not be paid by the thirty-first day of August, the Treasurer shall demand payment within one month, unless otherwise directed by Council in individual cases. At the expiration of one month from the demand the person in default shall cease to be a Member of the Club unless the subscription is meanwhile paid.
9 EXPULSION
The Council is empowered to resolve that the name of any Member be removed from the List of Members if the Council is satisfied that it would be detrimental to the interests of the Club for the said person to continue as a Member. Such a Resolution shall be confirmed at a Special General Meeting (called for the purpose) by not less than two-thirds of those present and voting and such a Member shall there upon cease to be connected with the Club.
10 REGISTRATION
There shall be kept a Register of the names and addresses of the Club Members and the Treasurer shall enter therein the date of receipt by him of all subscriptions.
11 GROUPS
The Council shall be empowered to appoint Members to organise Groups within the Club, subject to such Rules as the Council may decide. These Organisers shall be responsible to the Council for the proper administration of the Group.
12 MANAGEMENT
The Management of the Club shall be vested in a Council consisting of :-
a) the Officers of the Club, namely: the President, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Syllabus Secretary, and
b) not more than five ordinary Council Members,
all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Rule 16.
The quorum for a meeting of the Council shall be three Officers and two ordinary Council Members. Seven days notice of all Council meetings shall be given except when the full Council is present and unanimously consents to an immediate meeting.
The Council shall have powers to co-opt members of the Club as additional Council Members for specific duties should the need arise and may fill any Council vacancies occurring before the next Annual General Meeting by co-option. Co-opted members, other than those co-opted to fill vacant Council posts, shall not be entitled to vote at Council Meetings
The Council may form committees with such power as it may decide. The Officers shall be ex officio members of such Committees and shall be entitled to be present at meetings thereof. Adequate notice of the committee meetings shall, in all cases, be given to the Honorary Secretary.
The Council shall have all necessary powers to provide suitable Club premises and everything reasonably necessary for carrying on the Club's activities and functions in accordance with its objects and these Rules.
13 TRUSTEES
There shall be three Trustees of the Club. The first Trustees shall be appointed by the Council. The property of the Club (other than moveable chattels, monies on deposit or current account with the Club's Bankers and cash-in-hand which shall be controlled in a manner decided by the Council) shall be vested in the Trustees to be dealt with by them as the Council shall from time to time direct by Resolution (of which an entry in the Minute Book of the Council Meetings shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the said Club property.
The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by a Resolution of the Council who may for any reason which may seem sufficient to the majority of them present and voting at any meeting remove any Trustee or Trustees from the office of Trustee. If, by reason of death, or any such removal or resignation, it shall appear necessary to the Council that a new Trustee or Trustees shall be appointed or if the Council shall deem it expedient to appoint an additional Trustee or additional Trustees the Council shall by Resolution nominate the person or persons to be appointed the new Trustee or Trustees. For the purpose of giving effect to such nomination the President is hereby nominated as the person to appoint the new Trustee of the Club within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustee Act 1925 and he shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated by Council as the new Trustee or Trustees of the Club and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment. Any statement of fact in any such deed of appointment shall, in favour of a personal dealing bona fide and for value with the Club or the Council, be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.
If at any time the Club in General Meeting shall pass a Resolution authorising the Council to borrow money the Council shall thereupon be empowered to borrow for the purpose of the Club such amount of money either at one time or from time to time and at such rate of interest and in such form and manner and upon such security as shall be specified in such a Resolution and thereupon the Trustees shall at the direction of Council make all such dispositions of the Club property or any part thereof as vested in Trustees by this Rule and enter into such agreements in relation thereto as the Council may deem property for the giving of security for such loans and interest. All Members of the Club whether voting on such Resolution or not and all persons becoming Members of the Club after the passing of such Resolution shall be deemed to have assented to the same as if they have voted in favour of such Resolution.
14 ORDINARY MEETINGS
Meetings of the Club shall be held on Wednesday evenings, as determined by Council, not earlier than 7.00pm, and at any other time specially appointed for meetings.
15 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
On the requisition of not less than ten Members, or at the instance of Council, the Honorary Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting. Written notice of the meeting, stating the reason why such meeting is called, shall be provided to each member by the Honorary Secretary within twenty-eight days of such requisition and not less than twenty-eight days prior to the fixed date. Fifteen Members, including any Council members present, shall form a quorum at Special General Meetings.
16 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held on the last Wednesday in May each year. At such Annual General Meeting, the business to be transacted shall be:
Reading of the notice convening the Meeting;
Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any Special General
Meetings held since that Annual General Meeting;
Report from Council;
Honorary Treasurer's Report and Audited Accounts for the previous Financial year ended 31st March;
Election of the Council in the following order:
President Honorary Treasurer
Honorary Secretary Honorary Syllabus Secretary
Five Ordinary Councillors Election of an Honorary auditor;
Election of Vice-Presidents, Honorary Members and Honorary Life Members, if any;
Any other relevant business.
b) Written notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be provided to each member by the Honorary Secretary not less than twenty-eight days prior to the fixed date.
c) Fifteen Members, including the Council, shall form a quorum at the Annual General Meeting.
d) A statement setting forth the attendance of the Members of Council at Council Meetings during the previous twelve months shall be exhibited on the Club notice board fourteen days before the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
e) Members of the Council who have failed to attend fifty percent of the Council meetings in the previous twelve months shall be ineligible for re-election at the following election, unless the Council certify to the contrary.
f) All nominations for election to the Council shall be proposed by a Club Member, seconded by another Club Member, subject to the consent of the nominee and delivered to the Honorary Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
g) Only Full Members or Joint Full Members of the Cub, and subject to Rule 16e above, shall be eligible for election or nomination for Council posts.
h) If more than one member is nominated for any Office, or if more than five shall be nominated as Ordinary Councillors, a ballot shall be held. The result shall be determined by a simple majority of those present and voting.
i) The Chairman of the Annual General Meeting may, if he thinks necessary, permit the nominations for any of the Council posts, excluding that of President, to be handed in during the evening of the Meeting.
17 CHAIRMAN
The President shall act as Chairman at all meetings of the Club and Council except in the case of Group meetings where an Organiser has been appointed by the Council to conduct such meetings. This latter provision shall not exclude the President from taking the Chair at such Group meetings on such occasions as may in the President's and/or Council's opinion be necessary. In the absence of the President the Vice-Chairman shall assume his office and have such power for the time being. In the absence of the President and Vice-Chairman another Officer of the Club shall take the Chair for the time being; if no Officer of the Club is available an ordinary Councillor shall take the Chair for the time being.
18 VICE-CHAIRMAN
Each year the Council shall elect a Council member to serve as Vice-Chairman, who, in the absence of the President, shall occupy the President's place and have such power for the time being.
19 CASTING VOTE
On all occasions the Chairman of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.
20 NEW RULES AND ALTERATIONS
All suggested new Rules, alterations and additions to the existing Rules must be proposed by not less than four Members and must reach the Honorary Secretary not less than twenty-one days before the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. The Honorary Secretary shall provide written notice of the proposals to each member at least fourteen days prior to the said meeting. New Rules, alterations and additions to the existing Rules shall be approved at the Meeting by two-thirds of those present and voting.
21 INTERPRETATION
The Council shall have the power to interpret these Rules if there should be any ambiguity or difference of opinion concerning the purport or intention of any Rule. The Council shall have the power to deal with any matters not provided for in these Rules.
22 CONCURRENCE
Any person joining the Club hereby assents to and agrees to be bound by these Rules and to such alterations and additions thereto as may be agreed upon by Council and Members in accordance with Rule 20 above.
End
Adopted at Special General meeting 13th January 1982
Modified at AGM 1993
Modified at Special General Meeting 11th March 1998
Modified at Special General Meeting 23 July 2003