Teesside Model Flying Club
Constitution
Title
The name of the club shall be the Teesside Model Flying Club
Objectives
To promote and encourage all branches and all aspects of aeromodelling (consistent with safe operating practice and being a good neighbour) for the benefit of the community in the Teesside Area.
To assist members in improving their flying standards, and in ensuring strict observance of Club Rules with respect to a) safety b) care for the communities surrounding the Club’s Sites and c) maintaining the Club’s “Licence to Operate” by acting in accordance with local and national regulations.
To encourage social activities within the club.
To affiliate to the National Governing Body, the Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers (trading as the British Model Flying Association – BMFA), and to promote their policies, guidelines and rules.
Membership
Membership of the club shall be open to all persons within the Teesside Area (defined as an area within a 15-mile radius of the Club’s Redmarshall Site), irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs, or of age, sex or disability – except as necessary consequence of the requirements of model flying as a particular sport.
Membership maybe refused if the proposed member has been dismissed or left any model flying club due to disciplinary or proposed disciplinary proceedings.
Persons joining the club will be Probationary Members for the first twelve months. Subject to a satisfactory probationary period having being served, full membership at the Committee’s discretion will follow.
First time members will also pay a Joining Fee. The level of the Joining Fee may be periodically reviewed at the Club AGM. The Joining Fee will be waived in the case of lapsed members who rejoin, provided they can provide proof of the original payment to the Club Treasurer. The Joining Fee will not normally be refundable except in the case of Probationary Members who are not accepted as full Club Members at the end of their probationary period.
The Club membership period is from 1st January to 31st December each year. Club fees are set at the AGM (normally held each November) and the Committee will organise a Subs Night (normally each December) for the payment of Club Fees. There will be a penalty for any Club Member renewing his or her subscription after 14th January in a new Club Year. The level of the penalty will be set at 15% of the prevailing Joining Fee. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. proof of serious illness on Subs Night) the penalty may be waived by the Committee.
Ordinary Membership: There shall be two classes of ordinary membership, namely: Senior and Junior. Persons over eighteen years of age shall be required to seek Senior membership. Persons aged seventeen years or under on 1st January of the year of joining, or who are undergoing full-time education, will be classed as Junior members for the remainder of the Club year.
Honorary Membership: Honorary membership may be awarded at the discretion of the Committee and will be announced at the AGM.
Social Membership: Social membership shall be offered to non-flying persons who may wish to assist with organising social events for the Club.
Country Members: Members who gain BMFA membership either directly or through another club, will be required to provide proof of same before TMFC Club subscriptions will be accepted.
All Members and guest flyers must have BMFA Insurance and be able to provide proof thereof. (Arrangements for pilots participating in the annual Club Airshow, or other organised Club Events, will be specified by the Event Director following approval by the Club Committee).
Persons joining the Club will agree to be bound by the terms of the Club Constitution and the Club’s Rules.
A complaint from a member concerning any fellow member must be made in writing and signed by the complainant(s). The written complaint must then be forwarded to the Secretary so that the matter can be addressed at the next Committee Meeting.
Subscriptions
The annual subscriptions shall be determined by the Committee and tabled for approval at the AGM. The annual subscription shall constitute the Club fee, CAA fees plus the BMFA membership fee (except for Country Members).
Officials
The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Safety Officer, BMFA Liaison Officer, a Castlelevington Representative and ordinary Committee Members as required, up to 5 in number. In the event that it is not possible to get a volunteer to carry out the full role of Treasurer, the separate role of Membership Secretary may be created in order to reduce the workload. In such an eventuality, the number of ordinary Committee Members will be up to 4. All Committee Members shall be Senior Members and shall have served a minimum of 2 years as a Club Member.
The Committee shall retire each year at the Annual General Meeting, but any member may be elected again. The new Committee shall be elected either by a show of hands or by written vote as decided by the Committee. Nominations for Committee posts must be made in writing to the Chairman and Secretary at least 28 days before the date of an AGM and must carry a proposer and a seconder. In the event of one of the 4 Senior Officer’s positions (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon Secretary or Hon Treasurer) needing to be filled part way through the Club year, the Secretary will seek nominations from the membership. If more than one nomination is received, an EGM will be held to enable a preferred candidate to be elected. To assist with continuity, a period of 10 days’ notice will be deemed sufficient for calling an EGM for this specific purpose. Co-opted members may be invited to join the Committee for administration or advisory purposes providing the full Committee is in agreement.
The Committee shall be responsible for the running of the Club, and shall have the power to refuse membership to any applicant or initiate action that may lead to the suspension or termination of membership of any member who, in the opinion of the Committee, could in any way jeopardise safe and harmonious relationships within the Club or between the Club and its neighbouring communities.
Disciplinary Procedure
Club Rules are necessary to:
Protect Club Members and Members of the public from death or injury
Prevent damage to equipment and property
Maintain the Club’s “Licence to Operate” on its Redmarshall and Castlelevington Sites
Maintain harmony and a “family friendly” atmosphere within the Club
If an “anything goes” approach is taken to Club Rules, it will only be a matter of time before someone gets hurt or seriously injured or the Club loses the use of its Sites. On the other hand, no one is perfect, and even the most sensible and experienced Club Member can make a minor mistake from time to time. In implementing its Disciplinary Procedure, the Committee will strive to achieve the correct balance between:
Exercising a sensible degree of tolerance towards members with a good track record who make the odd inadvertent mistake, and:
Taking firm action against more serious misconduct or against members who flagrantly or persistently abuse Club Rules or fellow Club Members or disrupt the harmony within the Club.
When the Committee considers formal disciplinary action to be necessary, the following procedure will be followed:
- The member will be given a verbal warning by a committee member in which the member is made aware of his misdemeanour and what he is a.reasonably required to do to make amends.
- If the member does not respond, he will be given a written warning by the Club Secretary to advise him of his misdemeanour and what he is reasonably required to do to make amends.
- If he still fails to respond, the Committee will invite him in writing to meet with them at a previously agreed date and time to discuss the situation, advising they are considering withdrawal of his membership. (See Note 1 below)
- If he still fails to respond to reasoning or fails to attend without reasonable cause, the committee may advise him in writing that his membership has been withdrawn, stating the reasons why this decision has been reached. His Club membership fee will be returned and his entitlement to attend Club premises, either in a personal capacity or as a guest of any TMFC member, will also be withdrawn.
- When the member is advised of withdrawal of his membership, he will be given the right to appeal. In such cases, the member should write to the Club Secretary with 28 days, citing the grounds on which he wishes to appeal. Should the appeal proceed, this will be to the club membership at an EGM, which the committee will call on his behalf at a previously agreed date and time.
In the case of gross misconduct, elements “a” or “a” and “b” may be omitted but this will only be for exceptional circumstances and advice will be sought from the BMFA HQ in these instances. Although the list is not exhaustive, the following behaviours are liable to be regarded as gross misconduct – discrimination, harassment, bullying, abuse, physical or verbal violence, gross insubordination, theft or damage to the Club’s property or equipment, misuse of the Internet including postings liable to damage the reputation of the Club or any of its members, or other conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club such as placing the Club’s Licence to Operate under threat.
(Note 1: For less serious offences (i.e. those likely to result in verbal warnings or initial written warnings, but not those liable to proceed towards dismissal), the member may be asked to appear before a Sub-Committee, appointed by the full Committee and comprising at least 4 Committee Members. In the event that any action taken by the Sub-Committee should lead to an appeal, the appeal will be made to the full Club Committee rather than an EGM).
The Committee
Business: The elected Committee shall manage the business and running of the Club.
Flying Site Rules: May only be amended at an AGM or EGM, with the exception of Rules relating to safety or “licence to operate” which the Committee may amend at any time. Flying Site Rules shall be binding on all members operating on any site under the control of the Club.
Quorum: A quorum of any meeting shall consist of a majority of the committee members including co-opted members. The Chairman of the meeting shall have the casting vote in any unresolved business (in both Committee and Sub-Committee meetings).
Frequency of Meetings: Committee Meetings shall be arranged as necessary.
Minutes of Committee Meeting: The Secretary will make best endeavours to ensure that Minutes of Committee Meeting are posted on the Notice Boards at the Club’s Site within 3 weeks of the Meeting taking place.
Indemnity
The Club will ensure that appropriate third-party public and civil liability indemnity cover is maintained to provide indemnity to Committee Members who become engaged in activities on behalf of the Club, which could include being involved in court proceedings. The Club will take advice and follow the recommendations of the BMFA, in this respect, as that Organisation provides committee liability indemnity cover as a feature of its Club Affiliation process.
In the event of the committee member being awarded damages or costs in the course of the proceedings taken by him in his representative capacity, then such damages or costs will become the property of the Club and not the committee member personally, and forthwith, upon receipt by the committee member, that member will pay them to the Club Treasurer.
Finance
The Club’s financial year shall normally run from 1st November to 31th October.
The Club will have the power to obtain, collect and receive funds by means of contributions, donations, special events, subscriptions and the sale of donated goods.
The income of the Club shall be directed to achieving the Club’s Objectives as outlined in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly to any member of the Club, with the following proviso:
Payment in good faith of reasonable and proper out of pocket expenses to any member, officer or servant of the Club.
The Committee must ensure that proper accounts are kept in respect of:
- a)All monies received and expended by the Club and the matters in respect of which the receipts and expenditure takes place, and
- b) The assets and liabilities of the Club. At each AGM, the Committee must present an account of income, expenditure, assets and liabilities.
All bank accounts will be opened in the Club’s name. A Club debit card and a Club Paypal account may be set up in order to enable the Club to gain the benefit of purchasing on-line. All expenditure must be:
- a)individually itemised in the club accounts and
- b) be pre-approved by any two of the Club senior officials (Chairman, ViceChairman, Secretary, or Treasurer) if over £50, or in the case of purchases over £250, by the full Committee. This approval must be recorded in the club accounts. The financial limits set here may be altered in the future with the approval of the committee, and must be minuted. If the financial limits are changed, notification of this change should also be brought to the next AGM.
The Club Chairman, Club Treasurer and Club Secretary will act as Trustees in relation to the assets of the Club.
Club Meetings
Full Club Meetings will normally be held at a suitable venue, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month between September and March commencing at 1930 hrs.
Annual General Meeting
An Annual General Meeting shall take place in November each year, for which a minimum of 14 days notice will be given, included in this notice must be an agenda and any proposals and amendments that are to be tabled at that meeting. The AGM shall consider the reports of the Elected Officers and Auditor (who shall not be a committee member), and elect or re-elect Officers and an Auditor for the ensuing year. Any proposals from the membership must be seconded and submitted in writing to the Secretary and Chairman at least 28 days before the published date of the meeting.
Voting: All proposals must be voted upon unless withdrawn at the meeting. Each Club member present at the AGM shall be entitled to one vote per proposal. A majority vote of those present is required to carry any proposal. In the event of any unresolved business, the AGM Chairman will have the casting vote. Amendments to proposals must be voted upon first. In the event of conflicting proposals, a preliminary vote will be held to eliminate the less popular proposal before proceeding to a final vote. Voting will normally be by a show of hands, but a secret ballot of those present may also be used at the discretion of the Committee.
Extraordinary General Meeting
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee. The Chairman or Secretary shall inform the membership in writing of the date and a list of items to be discussed, at least 14 days before the date of the meeting.
An Extraordinary General Meeting may also be called by not less than 10% of the members by way of a written request to the committee signed by the said 10% with a list of items to be discussed.
If a request for a meeting is made in accordance with the above paragraph and this meeting is not called within 28 days of the request, the requisitioners may themselves convene an Extraordinary General Meeting by giving 28 days written notice to all members and setting out a list of all items to be discussed. Any resolutions passed at this meeting shall in effect be as though passed by the committee.
Voting: See under AGM.
Dissolution and Winding-up of the Club
In the event that any circumstances arise which would cause the Club to cease its activities then an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be called. Six weeks’ notice of this meeting shall be given in writing to ALL paid up members.
The meeting shall consider the situation and if 75% of those present vote in favour of the motion then the Club will immediately cease its activities.
After all outstanding liabilities (including the return of all unused portions of grants where this was a condition of the grant) have been settled, the balance of the funds remaining will be offered to a named charity or charities. The chosen charities will be agreed by the membership at the EGM.
Change of Constitution
A resolution to alter this Constitution may be passed at any General Meeting provided the following conditions are met:
- a)The proposed resolution is supported either by the Committee or by at least 20 Members of the Club.
- b)The Secretary receives the terms of the proposed resolution at least 28 days before the meeting at which the resolution is brought forward.
- c)The quorum for the carriage of such a resolution shall be one fifth of those entitled to vote.
- d)The resolution shall receive the assent of two thirds of those present and voting.
This Constitution was approved by members of the Teesside Model Club on 25th November 2021 AGM.