Constitution and Club Rules
Rules 13.1 - 18.12
13. ANNUAL CLUB SUBSCRIPTION
13.1All categories of member, except Honorary Member, shall be required to pay an Annual Club Subscription.
13.2The President and Captain and Secretaries of each of the Men’s and Ladies’ Clubs shall be Honorary members during their term of office.
13.3The amount payable by the different categories shall initially be fixed by the Committee of Management under Sub Clause 4.3.4 and ratified or altered at the next Annual or Special General Meeting of the Joint Club. Thereafter such subscriptions shall remain in operation until altered at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Joint Club.
13.4All subscriptions shall be payable on the 1st January in any year.
13.5Any member whose subscription shall be unpaid on 1st March in any year shall cease to be a member of the Club, but the Committee concerned may re-elect such member without Entrance Fee, re-nomination or re-posting, within THREE months from the date when the subscription became due, on payment of all subscriptions and other monies due to the Club, and in addition a fine of 5% per month overdue.
13.6The Secretary Manager shall notify the Honorary Secretary of the Men’s Club or the Ladies’ Club of the name of any member, as prescribed under Sub-Clause 13.4, and the Committee concerned shall not be entitled to allow such member to compete in any Club or Open Competition under its control or represent the Club in Team Matches, Union, Branch or District Events.
14. CAPITAL LEVY
14.1The Joint Club may vote to introduce a Capital Levy, varied if deemed appropriate according to the category of member, on all members to fund any additional acquisition of land or buildings, construction work or improvements to the course, clubhouse or its environs.
14.2The Joint Club shall determine the date for payment of such levy and the same penalties applicable to the Annual Subscription shall apply.
14.3The Joint Club may vote to introduce a compulsory annual spending charge for catering within the clubhouse on such categories of member as it considers appropriate.
15. FREEZING OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
15.1The Committee of Management will decide the rate of Annual Subscription payable by any member who reaches the age of 65 years, and the duration of membership required to be eligable and
15.1.1has retired from business or profession and
15.1.2is no longer engaged in full time or part time gainful employment or
15.1.3is mainly engaged in household duties.
15.2There after the Club Annual Subscription payable by such member shall remain the same as that paid in the year such member advises the Committee of Management of qualification under Clause 15.1.
15.3Ordinary Members whose subscriptions are frozen shall thereafter not be liable for payment of any Capital Levy.
16. VISITORS AND TEMPORARY MEMBERS
16.1Any Member may introduce visitors.
16.2It shall be a condition precedent that the member effecting the introduction shall enter each visitors name, address and date of visit immediately on entering the Clubhouse in a book to be kept for the purpose called a "Visitors Book" and such entry must be attested by the signature of the introducing member.
16.3No visitor shall be supplied with excisable liquor in the Club premises unless on the invitation of and in the company of the introducing member.
16.4The charge for visitors shall be fixed from time to time by the Committee of Management under Sub Clause 4.3.6 who are also empowered to make regulations for the admission of non-playing visitors.
16.5Every playing visitor must procure a Green Fee Voucher.
16.6On the issue of each Green Fee Voucher the name of the visitor, the number and amount of the Green Fee and the name of the introducing member must be immediately entered in a "Green Fee Book".
16.7In addition the Secretary Manager or his representative, having made and attested the necessary entry in the Green Fee Book, may permit a person or group not having an introduction from a member, to play on the Course and use the Clubhouse as a visitor on payment of the current Green Fee.
16.8The payment of the Green Fee shall entitle the visitor to temporary membership of the Club for the day.
16.9A member who fails to enter a visitor’s name in the visitor’s book shall be liable to a fine not exceeding the appropriate Green Fee and shall be personally responsible for the payment of the appropriate Green Fee where applicable.
16.10The Committee of Management shall have power to suspend the rules permitting the introduction of visitors or temporary members at any time and refuse permission for any particular visitor or temporary member to use the Course or Clubhouse.
16.11Competitors in the Club Open Competitions held on the Course and extending for more than one day shall, on payment of the Entry Fee and Green Fee (if chargeable) for the competition and on such fee(s) being accepted by the Committee in charge of the Competition, be eligible to use the Course and Clubhouse, without further payment or nomination for election, as Temporary Members for a period not exceeding one day prior to the date fixed for such competition, and for every day during the continuance of such competition.
16.12Competitors in Club Competitions limited to one day shall likewise be eligible for Temporary Membership status on the day of the Competition only.
16.13The Committee of Management may (and without assigning any reason if they so think right) cancel the admission of any Day Visitor or Temporary Member whose admission may be irregular or whose presence or conduct they may deem objectionable, or who deliberately breaks any of the Rules, Bye-Laws or Regulations of the Club.
16.14The fee paid by any such visitor or Temporary Member may, at the discretion of the Committee of Management, be either forfeited or refunded.
17. FINES
17.1The Committee of Management is empowered to impose fines for breaches of the Rules, Bye-Laws and Regulations of the Joint Club in force for the time being or for breaches of the etiquette of Golf, and may also at any time (either instead of, or in addition to, fines) temporarily withdraw the use of the Clubhouse and Course from any member whose conduct or breaches of the Rules, Bye-Laws or Regulations may, in the opinion of the Committee of Management, justify this course.
17.2Any member refusing or failing to pay a fine so imposed within one month after notification thereof, shall be suspended from the use of the Clubhouse and Course until such fine shall be paid.
17.3Each of the Men’s and Ladies’ Committees shall report any member of their Club to the Committee of Management for investigation and penalty under this Rule if they, in their absolute discretion, consider the breach warrants it.
18. REMOVAL OF MEMBER FROM THE CLUB AND SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS
18.1If any allegation of misconduct by a member be submitted to an Officer, in writing, any Officer shall make such enquiries as are considered necessary to obtain all relevant details. Such information shall be placed before the Committee of Management which shall, in meeting, enquire into such conduct.
18.2If in the opinion of the Committee of Management the conduct in question may warrant the suspension (by the temporary withdrawal of the privileges of membership) or expulsion of such member he or she shall be so informed in writing. The member shall have the right to appear and speak at, and/or to make a written submission which shall be read at, any subsequent meeting at which the conduct in question shall be considered and all related information shall be placed before the Committee of Management.
18.3If after making such enquiries as it considers necessary into the conduct of the member and hearing such explanation, if any, as he or she may offer, the Committee of Management, decides that his or her conduct has not been explained or accounted for to its satisfaction but was not such as to warrant expulsion of the member, such Committee may instead, by a majority, suspend the member for a period not exceeding three months and it shall notify the Men’s or the Ladies’ Committee concerned of its decision with which such Committee shall abide. Should a majority of the Committee of Management not be satisfied that the charges of misconduct have been proved no further action shall be taken.
18.4If no explanation of his or her conduct shall be given by the member, or if such explanation shall be considered unsatisfactory by the Committee of Management it may, provided that not less than a two-third majority of the members of the Committee vote for such course of action,
18.4.1recommend to the Committee of the Club concerned that such member be expelled by that Committee which may, in its absolute discretion, decide to act on or reject such recommendation.
18.4.1.1Should the Committee concerned decide to act on such recommendation it may only do so provided not less than a two-third majority of such Committee vote in favour of expulsion provided always that on taking such vote less than two-third members vote for expulsion the recommendation shall be deemed to have been rejected.
18.4.1.2The Committee concerned shall notify the Committee of Management of its decision and, if it is to reject the recommendation it shall request the Committee of Management to proceed in accordance with Clause 18.3.
18.5When the Committee concerned has resolved that a member be suspended or expelled, such member shall, within seven days of the date of the decision, be given notice, in writing, by the Honorary Secretary, or other authorised Officer, of his or her Club of the decision, by registered post or by delivery of such notice to his or her last known address. Such person shall have the right of appeal against the decision, within fourteen days of the date of notification. The appeal shall be made, in writing, to the Honorary Secretary of the Committee of Management.
18.6Notice of appeal under Sub-Clause 18.5 having been given, the decision shall not take effect for a period of twenty-one days from the date of the notification by the Club to the Member and the relevant Men’s or Ladies’ Committee notified of such appeal.
18.7The member shall have the right to have the appeal heard at an Extraordinary General meeting of his or her Club requisitioned under Sub-Clause 19.5.2 provided that the necessary signatures for such requisition are procured either by the member in question or by any other Full Ordinary Member. This meeting shall, by a majority, decide whether the expulsion shall be confirmed or repealed, or whether the period of suspension shall be confirmed, reduced, or repealed. Should the signatures provided for in Sub-Clause 19.5.2 not be obtained within twenty-one days from the date of the notification by the Club to the member the Committee concerned shall have the power to deem the appeal to have lapsed and to enforce the decision forthwith, or to allow an additional period should it decide, by a simple majority, that the circumstances warrant it.
18.8A decision by the Committee of Management or other Committee concerned under this Rule shall stand unless and until an appeal is received by an Officer of the Committee of Management, against it. Provided an appeal is received, and an Extraordinary General Meeting duly requisitioned, the expulsion or suspension shall not then take effect, pending the holding of the Extraordinary General Meeting.
18.9During the period of suspension the member shall not be entitled:
18.9.1to enter upon the Club property, whether in the company of another member or otherwise 18.9.1.1 save only to collect his or her property, or 18.9.1.2 for the purpose of attending any General Meeting which may be held during the period of suspension.
18.9.2to a refund or rebate of the whole or any part of his or her Annual Subscription or other sum paid or payable by him or her to the Club in respect of the year during which the suspension occurs.
18.10A person who has been expelled from membership shall not be entitled:
18.10.1to enter upon the Club property, whether in the company of another member or otherwise save only to collect his or her property, or
18.10.2to a refund or rebate of the whole or any part of his or her Annual Subscription or other sum paid or payable by him or her to the Club in respect of the year during which the expulsion occurs.
18.11Any Member expelled by his or her Club under this Rule shall automatically cease to be a Member of the Joint Club.
18.12All voting under this Rule shall be by secret ballot.