THE A’s OF HERTS BEDS & BUCKS ‘A SERIES’ OWNERS CLUB RULES

1.  TITLE. The name of the club shall be "The A's of Herts Beds & Bucks 'A Series' Owners Club " hereafter referred as "'The Club".

2.  OBJECTS.

a)  To further interest in motoring and motorsport.
b)  To provide members with information, advice and assistance on matters connected with motoring and motorsport.
c)  To watch the local administration of the laws and regulations affecting motoring and motor vehicles, and to report any proposed local action or scheme to the RAC MSA Ltd.
d)  To arrange tours, lectures, discussions and social and other meetings.
e)  To afford members such benefits and privileges as it may be possible to arrange.

3.  CONSTITUTION. Ladies and Gentlemen of not less than (17) years of age shall be eligible for membership. The membership shall consist of (a) Life Members, (b) Honary Members, (c) Ordinary Members, (d) Social Members and (e) Family Members.

4.  MANAGEMENT. The authority and responsibility for the transaction of the business of the Club for its management shall be vested in a Committee, who, in addition to the powers and authorities by these rules expressly conferred on them, may exercise all powers and do all acts in furtherance of the objects for which the Club is established or done by the Club in General Meeting.

5.  ELECTION OF MEMBERS. Applications of candidates for membership of the Club shall be submitted to the Committee by the Secretary, and the election of such candidates shall be at the discretion of the Committee.  The name and address and description of the candidate and the names of his proposer and seconder, being members of the Club, shall be stated on each application submitted to the Committee, provided that in the case of a candidate who knows no member of the Club, the Committee shall be empowered to carry out the election after proper enquiries. Membership of the Club shall continue only for the period covered by the current subscription, and members shall be subject to re-election annually by the Committee. All applications must be made by an individual in his own correct name and be signed by the said applicant personally.

6.  PROVISIONAL MEMBERS. Any candidate for membership of the Club whose subscription has been accepted by the Secretary shall become a provisional member of the Club. Provisional membership of any candidate shall only hold good until the meeting of the Committee next after payment of the subscription of such candidate.

7.  VOTING OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS. Each member present at a meeting of the Committee shall be entitled to exercise one vote. The Committee shall vote by ballot if any member present so demands. A vote of one third against any applicant for membership shall exclude from membership.

8.   SUBSCRIPTION. The yearly subscription fee is £10.00, with an initial joining fee of £6.50 for the first year to cover membership card, t-shirt and car sticker. Family membership is available for an additional £10.00 per family member residing at the same address. Consequently one newsletter will be sent per household. Annually thereafter a further payment of £10.00 per member will be required to renew membership. Continuous membership for five years will then qualify each member to two years free membership.

9.   PAYMENT OF SUBSCRIPTIONS. Subscriptions will be paid to the Membership Secretary annually. All cheques to be made payable to the A's of Herts, Beds & Bucks. Subscription will be due one week after the anniversary of initial membership.

10. NEW MEMBERS. Any member who has been notified of his election and who fails to pay his subscription within one month of such notification shall be again requested in writing by the Membership Secretary to pay the same, and if he/she fails to make payment within fourteen days thereafter his election shall be ipso facto, null and void. No newly elected member shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership until after the payment of his first subscription.

11. NON-PAYMENT. Any member of the Club who has not paid his subscription within two clear months of the date on which it became due shall be notified of the fact in writing by the Membership Secretary and one month thereafter any member who has still failed to pay his subscription may, unless sufficient reason be shown to the satisfaction of the Committee be taken off the Register of members forthwith. No member whose subscription is in arrears shall be eligible to take part in any competitions organised by the Club and rules of the RAC MSA.

12. RESIGNATION. Any member wishing to resign his membership shall give notice in writing of such desire to the Secretary on or before the date of which his subscription would have become due for renewal in any year, otherwise he shall be liable to pay his subscription for the ensuing year. Also any member ceasing, voluntarily or otherwise, to be a member of the Club, shall thereafter cease to have any claim upon the property of the Club or to enjoy any privileges of membership, but he or she shall remain liable for the payment of any debts due to the Club from him or her.

13. USE OF CLUB NAME AND ADDRESS. The name and address of the Club shall not be given by a member as his address for trade, advertising or business purposes or in connection with any legal proceedings.

14. LIFE MEMBERS. Subscribers of not less than five times the annual subscription for the time being may be elected Life Members by the Committee, and shall he exempt from the payment of annual subscriptions. A member cannot become a Life Member until after re-election.

15. HONARY MEMBERS AND SOCIAL MEMBERS. The Committee may elect as Honary Members all members of the Royal Families, and any persons distinguished for their political, scientific, literary, industrial and administrative capacities, or who have been distinguished in promoting the cause of motoring in general or of the Club in particular. The Committee may also elect Social Members at an annual subscription of £10.00. Social Members shall not be permitted to take part in any competitions held under the rules of the RAC MSA Ltd. No person owning or having on hire purchase a private car or motor cycle shall be eligible for election as a Social Member. Any Social Member who acquires a car or motorcycle must inform the Secretary immediately and he shall from the date of such acquisition cease to be a Social Member.

16. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS. It shall be the duty of the Committee if any time they shall be of the opinion that the interests of the Club so require, by letter to invite any member to withdraw from the Club within a time specified in such letter, and in default of such withdrawal to submit the question of his expulsion to the meeting of the Committee to be held within six weeks after the date of such letter. Members of the Committee shall be given at least seven days notice of such a meeting and shall be allowed to offer an explanation of his conduct verbally, or in writing and if two thirds of the members present shall then vote for his expulsion, he shall thereupon cease to he a member of the Club.

17. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall he held in the month of November in each year upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the Committee. The Annual General Meeting shall:

a)  Receive from the Committee a full statement of accounts duly audited showing the receipts and expenditure for the year ending.
b)  Receive from the Committee a report of the activities of the Club during the said year.
c)  Elect the Chairman and Vice Chairman, and the Secretary and Treasurer of the Club, and if appropriate, the Solicitor and Auditor.
d)  Elect the Committee.
e)  Settle any remuneration for officers of the Club and the Solicitor and Auditor.
f) Decide on any resolution which may he duly submitted to the meeting as hereinafter provided.

18. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS. A Special General Meeting may be convened by direction of the Committee, or on a requisition to the Secretary stating the business for which the Special General Meeting is required and not less than 12 members. If the meeting so requisitioned is not convened within 21 days, the said (12) members may convene such meeting. 15 members shall form a quorum.

19. AGENDA. When members wish a matter to be discussed at a General Meeting, the text of such matters signed by at least two members shall be sent to the Secretary at least l4 days before the date of such meetings, so that it may he included in the Agenda.

A copy of the Agenda shall be sent to each member at least five days prior to the meeting, but the fact that any member has not received a copy of the Agenda shall not invalidate the proceedings. No business which is not included in the Agenda shall be discussed at the meeting unless every member present is in favour thereof. Should the proposer of any motion fail to move a resolution in respect of the relevant item on the Agenda, then any other member shall he entitled to do so.

20. VOTING. Every person with a right to he present may exercise one vote. The Chairman shall not vote except in the exercise of a casting vote. At all General Meetings, except as provided in Rule 23, a majority of votes decides a resolution. At any General Meeting any (12) members may demand a Poll, and thereupon the meeting shall he adjourned to a time and place to he named by the Chairman, and a postal vote shall be taken of all members of the Club. The decision of the members, as shown by such postal vote, shall he reported to the adjourned meeting, and shall he deemed to he the decision of such meeting. The Rules relating to collective voting and proxies shall apply in Clause 8 hereof.

21. RIGHT TO BE PRESENT. No-one can take part in General Meetings unless he has been duly elected as a Member of the Club, and has paid his subscription according to these Rules.

22. OBSERVANCE AND INTERPRETATION OF RULES. Every member binds himself to abide by the rules of the Club, and also by any modifications thereof made in conformity with such rules, and also to accept as final and binding the decision of the Committee in all cases of dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of these rules.

23. ALTERATION OF RULES. Any alterations may be made in these rules by a General Meeting provided (a) that details of the proposed alteration or alterations are included in the notice of the General Meeting and (b) that the resolution proposing such alteration is carried out by two thirds of those present and voting at such General Meeting or by two thirds of those voting should a Poll be demanded as provided for in rule 20.

24. EVENTS. All motor competitions organised by the Club shall he held under the rules and requirements of the RAC MSA Ltd.

Any member convicted of an offence arising out of his being in charge of a motor vehicle in any club event or on club business shall he thereupon he liable to expulsion from the Club under rule 16.

25. COPIES RULES. Every member shall be furnished with a copy of Club rules and regulations on election.

26. DISSOLUTION. The Club may be dissolved by a Special General Meeting convened by direction of the Committee, or on the requisition of the majority of the members.

If the resolution of dissolution be duly passed, the Committee shall forthwith liquidate the affairs of the Club, the assets to be auctioned or sold and the finances of the Club will then he divided equally between each fully paid member at the time of dissolution.

SSF/December 1996