1. Name

1.1 The Club shall be called "The Farnham Common Sports Club"

1.2 The Club comprises sports sections for hockey, cricket, tennis, squash, rugby and for fitness and it is the parent organisation to the:
1 Farnham Common Cricket Club
2 South Bucks Hockey Club
3 Farnham Common Tennis Club
4 Drifters Rugby Football Club
5 Farnham Common Squash Club
6 Farnham Common Fitness Club

2. Objects

2.1 To promote and encourage sporting and social activities.

2.2 To reinvest any trading surplus in the Club. The Club will operate on a non-profit making basis no property or funds can be directly or indirectly used for the private benefit of members.

3. Membership

3.1 There are the following classes of membership of the Club:

a) Full Members must be aged 18 or over on January 1st and are those who subscribe as sport players in all or any of the Sport Sections. They have the right to use the Fitness Centre, the Club bar and all other Clubhouse facilities.

b) Junior Members must be under the age of 18 on the 1st January or in full time education and are those who subscribe as sports players in any or all of the Sports Sections and may be subject to individual Sport Section rules regarding Juniors. Junior Members who are over 18 are entitled to the same rights as Full Members. Those over the age of 14 are entitled to make use of the Club bar and other Clubhouse facilities subject to 17.1 and 19(d). Those under 14 (Mini Members) are only entitled to make use of the Fitness centre, the Club bar and other Clubhouse facilities when under supervision of a Member over the age of 18. The minimum age for Junior and Mini Members in each Sport Section will be recommended by each Sports Section Committee and be subject to the approval of the Main Committee.

c) Family Members are those who subscribe together as husband and wife, or as individual and common law spouse, together with where applicable, all children in the same family under eighteen or in full-time education. They are entitled to the same rights as Full or Junior Members depending on age.

d) Social Members must be over the age of 18 on the 1st January and are those who subscribe to use the Fitness Centre, Club bar and all other Clubhouse facilities but may not play in any of the Sport Sections.

e) Nonvoting Members are those entitled to the same rights as Full Members or Social Members except as in 3.2. Nonvoting membership will only be granted in particular circumstances.

3.2 Full, Social and Family Members over the age of 18, shall be entitled to attend and vote at AGMs or EGMs and to stand for election, or nominate other members for election, to the Main Committee or the Committees of individual Sports Sections of which they are members. Junior Members, under the age of 18 and Nonvoting Members, may not vote at any Club or Sports Section AGM or EGM nor hold office on any Club Committee.

3.3 Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. However limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non discriminatory basis

3.4 The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

3.5 The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.

3.6 Nonvoting membership may be awarded to an individual where the Main Committee decides there is a potential conflict between the interests of an individual (whether an existing member or new applicant) and the Club or its membership.

4. Colours

4.1 The colours shall be decided by each sports section.

5. Subscriptions & Match Fees

5.1 The annual subscription payable by members of the Club shall be such as the Main Committee shall from time to time prescribe, and shall become payable annually on the 1st January, or other date as the Main Committee may decide, in respect of the following year.

5.2 Any member, whose membership is more than 1 month in arrears, shall have been deemed to resign.

5.3 New Members elected after 30th June of any year shall pay such subscriptions as may be decided from time to time by the Main Committee. Late renewing members who membership has lapsed under rule 5.2 will not be entitled to a reduced fee.

5.4 A match fee will be charged for all Club matches as laid down by the main committee. Match fees for minis and juniors will be recommended by each sports section committee and be subject to the approval of the Main Committee.

6. Resignation

6.1 A Member may withdraw from membership of the Club on 30 days clear notice to the Club. Membership shall not be transferable in any event and shall cease immediately on death or dissolution or on the failure of the Member to comply or to continue to comply with any condition of membership set out in these Rules.

7. Expulsion

7.1 The Main Committee shall have power to expel a Member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for him to remain a Member.

7.2 A Member shall not be expelled unless he is given 14 days' written notice of the meeting of the Committee at which his expulsion shall be considered and written details of the complaint made against him.

7.3 The Member shall be given an opportunity to make written representations and/or to appear before the Committee and at any such meeting to answer complaints made against him and to cross-examine any witnesses and must not be expelled unless at least two-thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion.

7.4 The Main Committee may exclude the Member from the Club's premises until the meeting considering his expulsion has been held. For the avoidance of doubt, the member shall be entitled to attend that meeting for the purpose of making his representations.

8. Effect of Resignation or Expulsion

8.1 Any person ceasing to be a member forfeits all right to and claims upon the Club, its property and its funds and has no right to the return of any part of his or her subscription.

9. The Main Committee and Officers

9.1 The Main Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club and no more than twelve (12) additional members who shall have full voting powers.

9.2 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Subscription Secretary and Bar Chairman; who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Officers of the Club shall have the duty to formulate policies and commit executive decisions subject to the ratification of the Main Committee at the earliest possible occasion. Neither policy nor expenditure can be laid down or committed without the approval of the Main Committee.

9.3 The twelve additional members shall be:

1) A Cricket representative - a member of the Cricket Committee

2) A Tennis representative - a member of the Tennis Committee

3) A Hockey representative - a member of the Hockey Committee

4) A Rugby representative - a member of the Rugby Committee

5) A Squash Rackets representative – a member of the Squash Committee

6) A Social representative – a member of the Fitness & Social committee

All the above elected or nominated by their respective sports sections annually for inclusion in the notification of members at the annual general meeting.

7) Two (2) Club members elected at the Annual General Meeting

8) Two (2) members who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting to the positions of Chairmen of Sub-Committees respectively for Ground and House .

9) Two (2) members to act as delegates nominated by the Parish Council shall be entitled to attend Committee meetings.

9.4 The duties of the Main Committee are the overall management of the club including the control over all questions of policy including finance.

9.5 All Officers and members of the Main Committee shall retire annually and shall be eligible for re-election.

9.6 Seven members of the Main Committee, including at least two Officers with full voting powers, shall form a quorum.

9.7 The formation and membership of all Sub-committees and Sports Section Committees is subject to the approval of the Main Committee. The Main Committee may delegate any of its authority or power to approved Sub-committees or Sports Section Committees. In the exercise of any such delegated authority or power, Sub-committees or Sports Section Committees shall conform to Club Rules and any other regulation or requirement decided by the Main Committee.

9.8 The Chairman and one other officer shall be non voting “ex-officio” members of all Sports Section committees, the Honorary Secretary must be informed of all Sports Section sub committee meetings.

9.9 Any member of the Main or Sports Section Committee who absents himself from meetings on three consecutive occasions without offering any satisfactory explanations, or has failed to pay his membership subscription in accordance with rule 5.2, shall be deemed to have relinquished his or her seat thereon.

9.10 Any person nominated as a member of the Main Committee must be a Full Member or adult Family Member.

9.11 The Main or Sports Section Committees may elect or co-opt any member, except a Non voting Member, to fill any arising vacancy on the relevant Committee until the next Club or Section annual general meeting when that person shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.

10. Proceedings of the Main Committee

10.1 Main Committee meetings shall be held as often as the Main Committee thinks fit provided that there shall not be less than 8 meetings each year. The quorum for such meetings shall be at least two Officers and five other members. The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary shall have discretion to call emergency meetings of the Main Committee if they consider it to be in the interests of the Club. The Honorary Secretary shall give all the members of the Main Committee not less than five days' notice of a meeting.

10.2 The Chairman shall be the chairman of the Main Committee. Unless he is unwilling to do so, the Chairman shall preside at every meeting of the Main Committee at which he is present. But if there is no person holding that office, or if the Chairman is unwilling to preside or is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, then an Officer shall preside.

10.3 Decisions of the Main Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman (or the acting chairman of that meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.

10.4 The Main Committee may from time to time appoint from among its number such sub-committees as it considers necessary and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Main Committee as the Main Committee may determine. All sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Main Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Main Committee.

10.5 The Officers shall be responsible for the day to day management of the Club and shall have the sole right of appointing and determining the terms and conditions of service of employees of the Club. The Officers shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Club on behalf of all the Members.

10.6 The Trustees of the Club shall be appointed from time to time as necessary by the Club in general meeting from among the Members who are willing to be so appointed. A Trustee shall hold office during his life, or until he shall resign by notice in writing given to the Main Committee or until a resolution removing him from office shall be passed at a general meeting by a majority comprising two-thirds of the Members present and voting.

10.7 All property of the Club including land and investments, shall be held by the Trustees for the time being, in their own names so far as necessary and practicable, for the use and benefit of the Club. On the death, resignation or removal from office of a Trustee, the Main Committee shall take steps to procure the appointment by the Club in general meeting of a new Trustee in his place; and shall as soon as possible thereafter take lawful and practicable steps to procure the vesting of all Club property into names of the Trustees as constituted after the said appointment. The Trustees shall in all respects act, in regard to any property of the Club held by them, in accordance with the directions of the Officers and shall have power to sell, lease, mortgage or pledge any Club property for the purpose of raising or borrowing money for the benefit of the Club in compliance with the Main Committee's directions. But no purchaser, lessee or mortgagee shall be concerned to enquire whether any such direction has been given.

10.8 The number of Trustees shall not be more than four or less than two.

10.9 The members of the Main Committee and Trustees shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the managing of the affairs of the Club.

11. Annual General Meeting (AGM)

11.1 The annual general meeting of the Club shall be held as soon as possible after 31st March, at such time as the Main Committee shall decide each year to transact the following business:

(a) to receive the Chairman's report of the activities of the Club during the previous year;

(b) to receive and consider the audited accounts of the Club for the previous year and the Honorary Treasurer's report as to the financial position of the Club;

(c) to elect the Officers and other members of the Main Committee;

(d) to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with Rule 11.2 below;

(e) to deal with any special matters which the Main Committee desires to bring before the membership.

28 days notification of the date, time, agenda, and place shall be given to the members.

11.2 Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the annual general meeting shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting.

11.3 No period greater than fifteen months shall elapse between one annual general meeting and the next.

11.4 The quorum for the annual general meetings shall be 25 Members

12. Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)

An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time by the Main Committee and shall be called within 28 days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a request in writing signed by not less than 15 Members stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed.

13. Procedures at the Extraordinary General Meetings

13.1 The Honorary Secretary shall send to each Member at his last known address written notice of the date of the extraordinary general meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 21 days before the meeting.

13.2 The quorum for the extraordinary general meetings shall be 25 Members.

13.3 The Chairman shall preside at such meetings of the Club. 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 and entitled to vote may choose one of the other officers or members of the Main Committee present to preside. If no other member of the Main Committee is present or willing to preside the Members present and entitled to vote may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

13.4 Each Full, Social and adult Family Member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those Members present and voting. In the event of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote. The Honorary Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Main Committee, shall take minutes at annual and extraordinary general meetings. There shall be no right for a Member to vote by proxy. No person may represent more than one Member.

14. Finance

a) The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December in each year.

b) All monies received by the Club shall be under the control of the Treasurer and shall be lodged to the credit of the banking account specified by the Main Committee.

c) All payments made by cheque must be signed by any two (2) of the Officers of the Club.

d) A Statement of Income and Expenditure and a Balance Sheet shall be prepared yearly and made available to all members to inspect prior to the Annual General Meeting.

e) Honorary Auditor: An Auditor shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting to audit the accounts for the following year.

15. Insurance

15.1 The Main Committee is granted full powers to take out Insurance policies related to the Club’s affairs at their discretion.

16. Dissolution

16.1 The affairs of the club shall be wound up if a resolution to that effect shall be passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting by a majority of two thirds or more of Qualifying Members who are present and voting in person.

For the purposes of this rule, Qualifying Members shall be all those Full Members and Family Members over 18 on the first of January of the year of the Extraordinary General Meeting.

The winding up shall be conducted by the persons and in a manner to be determined by a further Resolution passed at the same Meeting by a simple majority of such Qualifying Members.

The assets of the club remaining after all its debts and liabilities shall have been paid or discharged shall be distributed to a registered charity or another Community Amateur Sports Club, or to the sports governing body for any or all of the sports undertaken at the Club for use by them for related community sports, as determined by a further resolution passed at the winding up meeting by a simple majority of such Qualifying Members.

17 Visiting Teams

17.1 Members and officials of clubs visiting the Club for the purpose of playing a match or supporting their team may at the discretion of the Main Committee be admitted to the Club premises and be permitted to purchase and be supplied with intoxicating liquor by and on behalf of the Club.

18 Members' Guests

18.1 Members over the age of 18 may introduce guests into the Clubhouse up to a maximum of four (4) occasions per annum, after which the guest(s) will be expected to apply for membership.

18.2 Members may introduce up to three (3) bona fide guests into the Club premises at any one time and will be responsible for the conduct of their guests on the premises. Such guests shall during their visit be subject to Club rules. The names and addresses of all guests and the name of the member signing them in shall be entered into a book maintained for that purpose and such book must be kept on the premises.

18.3 Individuals may play as a guest of a member in any sports section up to 4 occasions in any one year after which they are expected to apply for membership of the Club, or, if already a Club member to join the relevant Sports Section if they wish to continue to play.

19. Rules

19.1 That a printed copy of the Club's Rules be displayed in a prominent position on the Club's premises. These must be signed by the Chairman and the Hon. Secretary.

19.2 No rule shall be altered except at the Annual General Meeting, or any Extraordinary General Meeting.

19.3 Each Sports Section shall have its own rules applicable to that section and approved by the Main Committee, and shall be displayed in the Club in a prominent place, and signed by the Sport Section Secretary.

19.4 Any difficulty encountered by members in interpreting the Rules of the Club shall be referred to the Main Committee whose decision shall be final.

19.5 Club policies prepared and approved by the Main Committee and Main Committee decisions on interpretation of existing rules will become effective from the date of the approval by the Main Committee and be proposed by the Honorary Secretary for ratification by Club members at the next AGM or EGM.

20. Supply of Intoxicating Liquor

20.1 No intoxicating liquor shall be sold or supplied otherwise than to:

i) Members
ii) Their bona fide guests
iii) Persons admitted to the Club premises in accordance with Club Rules 16 and 23.

20.2 The Club bar shall be opened as directed by the Committee and shall not contravene Local Licensing Hours and Section 62(i) Licensing Act 1964.

20.3 No intoxicating liquor shall be supplied for consumption off the premises except to a member in person.

20.4 No intoxicating liquor shall be supplied to a person under the age of
18 years.

21. Preservation of Ground and Club Property

21.1 The Sports ground is the property of the Parish on lease to the Club. Members shall ensure that every precaution be taken to protect the ground and Club property. Members shall not take part in any Club game, unless equipped with suitable equipment and/or attire as laid down by their Sport Sections.

22. Penalties

22.1 Personal misconduct, wilful damage or neglect of Club property, buildings, or Sports ground used in connection with the Club's activities, shall render the person or persons concerned liable to expulsion from any further participation in the Club's activities. The decision of the Committee on this matter shall be final and shall make the person or persons concerned liable to the forfeiture of the unexpired portion of his/her annual subscription.

23. Social Functions

23.1 Intoxicating liquor may be sold to persons attending the Club premises as guests of members or guests of the Club for social or other functions organised or authorised by the Club, provided always that the number of such functions that require extensions of normal bar opening hours shall not exceed 12 in any one year. No function shall be permitted to which admission may be obtained by payment of money at the door whether for a ticket or otherwise.

24 List of Members

24.1 A list of the names and addresses of all members of the Club shall be maintained and kept on the premises.