Ayr & District Model Flyers Constitution       TIME \@ 26 January 2011

 

1.                  Name:       The Club shall be called " Ayr & District Model Flyers".  It was previously known as “The Girvan Model Club and prior to that as “The Maybole Model Club”

2.                  Object:      To provide social, educational, and recreational facilities for members of the Club and to promote interest in all aspects of model flying within the Club and in the wider community.                                                            To provide training, instruction and encouragement for newcomers to the hobby                                          

3.                  Powers      The Club shall be a non-proprietary, non-profit making organisation.  To promote the Club’s object, the Club may…

(a)                Raise Funds and invite and receive contributions by way of subscriptions and donations

(b)               Purchase, take on lease, hire or otherwise acquire any property / equipment and any rights and privileges necessary for the promotion of the said object of the Club.

(c)                Maintain Club equipment / property.

4.                  Membership:        Membership shall be open to all persons of good standing as judged by the Committee. A person shall only be deemed a member after receipt of the appropriate fee. The membership year shall be from the 1st January until the 31st December.  The Secretary shall keep a list of members with their respective postal and Email addresses and telephone numbers. Members are responsible for notifying the Secretary of any changes.

5.                  Membership Grades:      

1.                  Senior Members –   Senior members are as defined by the Scottish Aeromodelling Association Constitution and have full voting rights.

2.                  Junior Members - Junior membership is limited to between the ages of 9 to 18 as at the 1st January of a subscription year. A junior member has no voting rights although all other rights and conditions of membership apply.

3.                  Guest Membership -       The Committee, at their discretion, may admit individuals to guest membership for a limited period. In order to fly models at the flying site, guests require to be insured through a recognised flying association insurance policy. Evidence of this must be produced on demand. Guest members have no voting rights.

4.                  Honorary Membership -  Honorary Members may be elected at the discretion of the Committee.  They have no voting rights.  They cannot fly models at the flying site unless insured via the SAA.

Note:- It may be necessary, from time to time, to limit the number of members admitted to membership of the Club. The Committee shall have the authority to set such a limit depending on circumstances

Insurance:      It shall be a condition of membership of the Club, that all members are in possession of the insurance cover provided by a recognised flying association insurance policy (SAA, BMFA, LMA, etc.). Proof of insurance cover is required on demand.

 

An insurance restriction precludes any Club member using the Club's facilities or procedures for financial or commercial interest.

 

6.                  Management:       The management of the Club shall consist of; Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Webmaster and Safety Officer. These positions shall form the Management Committee. The Committee will convene an Annual General Meeting at the end of each subscription year. The Committee shall be elected by the general body of members with voting rights at the AGM, and shall retire annually but will be eligible for re-election.                     The Club shall indemnify in respect of any fines damages or costs awarded against a Committee member who engages or becomes involved in Court proceedings (criminal or civil), while acting in his/her representative capacity on behalf of the Club.

In the event of a Committee member being awarded damages or costs in the course of proceedings taken by him/her in his/her representative capacity, such damages or costs shall belong to the Club and shall be paid to the Club Treasurer

The Club will not indemnify a Committee member in his/her actions as a private individual notwithstanding that he/she is taking part in Club activities but in circumstances where it would unreasonable for the Club to ratify his/her actions.

7.      Quorum:         The quorum of a general Club meeting shall be one third of the total members with voting rights.  The quorum of a Committee meeting shall be three.

8.      Voting:            Actions decided at a Committee or general Club meeting shall be a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. The “chair” at the meeting shall have the casting vote should an equality arise.

  1. Accounts:        Proper books of accounts shall be maintained, containing a full record of the Treasurer's intromissions with the funds of the Club. At the end of each financial year a statement of accounts shall be compiled and audited by an independent Honorary Auditor, who shall be approved annually by the membership at the AGM. The financial year shall be from 1st November until the 31st October, inclusive, each year.  A statement of the accounts will be submitted to the membership at the AGM.
  2. Finances:        All monies raised by the Club shall be applied  to further the aims and objects of the Club.  The Committee shall have the authority to spend an amount decided at the AGM or EGM by the membership on any extraordinary transaction or occasion. Anything over this amount must be authorised by the body of the membership present at an Extraordinary or Annual General Meeting. However, the Committee shall have the authority to pay on an ongoing basis such items as Flying Field expenses, Secretarial expenses,  SAA subscription and affiliation fees. The Committee must  approve all expenditure before being passed for payment. Cheque signatories shall be from any two of the following; Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.
  3. Subscriptions: All members shall pay in advance such annual subscriptions as agreed by the membership at the AGM. Renewals shall be due immediately after the AGM and no later than 24th December.
  4. Late Payment:            Membership renewal after 24th December will be allowed at the Committee's discretion, if there are extenuating circumstances. If no such circumstances exist, the member will have forfeited his/her membership and will have to re-apply for membership.
  5. Disciplinary Action:               Any member who flagrantly or persistently breaks the SAA and/or Club rules or who endangers the interests of the Club may be subject to disciplinary action. It is incumbent on the membership to report any breach of the safety rules to a Committee member. The Committee member shall then take appropriate action, by asking the member(s) breaking the rules to desist. If this proves ineffectual, the member(s) shall be banned from the flying site. Any such action taken by the Committee member shall remain in effect until a full Committee has heard and deliberated the breach of rules. If the full Committee upholds the action taken by the Committee member, then the offending member(s) shall remain banned for a period as decreed by the Committee. The Committee shall have the authority to suspend or cancel a person's membership should his conduct be deemed to be contrary to the interest of the Club. Any such member shall be requested to attend a Committee meeting to discuss the matter and may be accompanied by another member to act as a representative or witness. Any member who is the subject of a disciplinary decision shall have the right of appeal at an EGM or AGM.
  6. “The Children Act Scotland 1995”: The Club will operate strictly within the provisions of this legislation.  Note:- It is a condition of membership that junior members at the flying field must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
  7. Bye-Laws/ Safety Rules:       The Club will operate within the safety rules and child / vulnerable adult provisions laid down by the Scottish Aeromodelling Association.  Additional safety and conduct rules peculiar to the Ayr & District model Flyers will be set and maintained by the Committee. The Committee shall have the authority to introduce from time to time such bye- laws/ safety rules as may be necessary to maintain proper conduct within the Club.  Any member shall be entitled to receive a copy of the Bye-Laws / Safety Rules on demand.
  8. Accident Book:          The SAA have agreed with their insurers that all SAA affiliated Clubs will hold and maintain an accident book.  ADMF members are required to ensure that any accident or incident that may involve them in an insurance claim is recorded in the ADMF accident book.  The accident book will be held by the Club’s Safety Officer. 
  9. Alterations to the Constitution:         Any alteration to the Constitution shall only be made at an AGM or an EGM called for that purposed. In either case the Secretary must receive written notice of the proposed alteration(s) at least 7 days prior to the date of the meeting. Any proposed alteration must receive the support of a least two-thirds of the membership present at the meeting, before being accepted. Any member shall be entitled to receive a copy of the Constitution on demand.
  10. Dissolution:    Should an AGM or EGM decide that the Club is to be wound up, any residual assets shall used for the benefit of scottish aeromodelling.  This will involve the transfer of funds/assets to a specific club or clubs or to the Scottish Aeromodelling Association
  11. Visitors:  Visitors will be made welcome by the club.  An individual guest flier can be invited to fly at the club on three occasions per annum.  To enjoy further flying,  the guest flier will be required to join the club.  
  12. Note:     The Scottish Aeromodellers Association confirmed by letter dated 6th March 2009 (Elliot Balfour; SAA Secretary) that the Club’s safety rules & constitution met the requirements of the SAA document entitled “The promotion of welfare and care of children and vulnerable adults”