Probus Club of Sevenoaks

Rules of the Probus Club of Sevenoaks

1 Name

The Club is called the Probus Club of Sevenoaks.

2 Objective

The objective of the Club is to provide a regular meeting point for fully or partially retired professional and business men, particularly for those who appreciate and value in their retirement increased social contact and the opportunity for meeting others in similar circumstances.

3 Admission of members

Every candidate for membership shall be proposed and seconded by members of the Club.

4 Election

Candidates for membership may be elected by the Committee at its sole discretion.

5 Management

5.1 The Management of the Club shall be entrusted to a Committee consisting of the Chairman, the immediate past Chairman, the General Secretary, the Treasurer and eight other members of the Club.

5.2 The Chairman is to be elected at the Annual General Meeting for one year only.

5.3 The General Secretary, the Treasurer and the eight other members of the Club are to be elected at the Annual General Meeting and are eligible for re-election.

5.4 The Committee shall meet at least once in every four months.

5.5 At meetings of the Committee a quorum shall consist of six members of the Committee.

6 Purchase and supply of alcoholic beverages

Purchase for the Club and supply by the Club of alcoholic beverages shall be undertaken by the appointed Bar Secretaries or their Deputies in consultation with the appropriate Lunch Secretary.

7 Casual Vacancies

7.1 The Committee may at any time fill any casual vacancy arising within the Committee.

7.2 Any member of the Committee so appointed holds office only until the next Annual General Meeting but is then eligible for re-election.

8 Subscription

8.1 The annual subscription shall be decided at a general meeting.

8.2 On being admitted to the Club every member shall pay the annual subscription except that members admitted between 1st August and 30th September are not required to pay an annual subscription for the year of their admittance.

8.3 Every member shall pay on 1st October an annual subscription at the rate determined.

9 Commission

9.1 No member may at any time receive at the expense of the Club any commission percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchases of alcoholic beverages by the Club.

9.2 No member may directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of alcoholic beverages by or on behalf of the Club to members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the Club as a whole and apart also from any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise to or contributing to a general gain from the carrying on of the Club.

10 Application of profit

No money or property of the Club or any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club may be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the Club as a whole or that part of the Club from which the profit has arisen.

11 Accounts

11.1 A member of the Club is to be appointed as Independent Examiner at the Annual General Meeting. He is not to be a member of the Committee.

11.2 Accounts of the financial affairs of the Club duly examined by the Independent Examiner shall be made available to every member at the Annual General Meeting.

12 Subscriptions in arrears

Members who have not paid their annual subscription by 31st December shall be deemed to have resigned.

13 Annual General Meetings

13.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held, normally in January, and 15 months should not elapse without a general meeting.

13.2 At each Annual General Meeting:
13.2.1 the accounts for the previous financial year ending on 30th September prior to the meeting (having first been examined by the Independent Examiner) shall be presented and, if accepted, passed;

13.2.2 the Committee shall be elected;

13.2.3 the Independent Examiner shall be appointed and

13.2.4 any other business that has been communicated to the General Secretary shall be considered.

14 Extraordinary general meetings

14.1 An extraordinary general meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee and shall be convened within 42 days of a request by one-tenth of the members of the Club for the time being or 30 members whichever is the lesser.

14.2 Such a request shall state the purpose for which a meeting is required and shall be submitted to the General Secretary.

15 Notice of meetings

At least 21 days before any general meeting the General Secretary shall post in a conspicuous place in the Club's premises a notice of the meeting stating the time when and the place where it will be held and the business to be conducted. If this is not practicable in the time available, this notice will be given by such other means as agreed by the Committee.

16 Business at a general meeting

16.1 The business at any general meeting shall be limited to that provided for by these rules and any further matters set out in the notice convening the meeting.

16.2 At any general meeting a quorum shall consist of 20 members of the Club.

17 Votes

Each member has one vote at all meetings of the Club. Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands or by ballot at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting. In the event of an equal division of votes, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

18 Chairman

The Chairman of the Club presides at all General Meetings of the Club but if he is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or has signified his inability to be present at the meeting the members present may choose one of their number to be the Chairman of the meeting.

19 Expulsion of members

19.1 The Committee may expel any member who offends against the rules of the Club or whose conduct, in the opinion of the Committee, renders him unfit for membership of the Club.

19.2 Before any member is expelled the General Secretary shall give him seven days' written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and shall inform him of the complaints made against him.

19.3 No member may be expelled unless:
19.3.1 he is first given an opportunity of appearing before the Committee and answering complaints made against him and

19.3.2 at least two-thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion.

20 Guests

20.1 Any member may introduce male guests to the Club.

20.2 The member introducing a guest shall enter the name and address of the guest together with his own name in a book which shall be kept on the Club premises.

20.3 A guest may purchase alcoholic beverages in the Club.

21 Opening of Club premises

The premises used by the Club are open to members on days and between the hours the Committee from time to time determines.

22 Permitted hours

The permitted hours for the supply of alcoholic beverages are as stated in the current licence.

23 Modification of rules

No alteration or addition to these rules may be made except by a resolution carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present at a general meeting notice of which contained particulars of the proposed alteration or addition.

(APPROVED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 17th JANUARY 2011
AND AGREED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 16th JANUARY 2012 )
Page updated:- 25 January 2012