Rules of Frensham Pond Sailability

(Revision 3 - approved at FPSC GC 9 November 2010 and adopted at FPS AGM 14 January 2011)

1. Name

The name of the organisation shall be Frensham Pond Sailability (FPS).

2. Aims

To provide a wide range of sailing experiences for people with physical, sensory or learning disabilities.
To encourage the involvement of disabled sailors within the full range of Frensham Pond Sailing Club (FPSC) sailing and social activities.

3. Parties

Frensham Pond Sailability is a partnership a between FPSC and Farnham & District Sports Association for the Disabled (FDSAD).
Unless otherwise stated, all references to Rules, Membership, Committees, and General Meetings refer to FPS.

4. Rules

All members shall accept and abide by the Rules of FPS and the Rules and By-laws of FPSC. The Rules may be altered or repealed and new Rules added only by a resolution passed at a General Meeting of FPS, by not less than two thirds majority of those members entitled to vote, present and voting.
The notice of a General Meeting shall specify the proposed alterations and the quorum shall be twelve members entitled to vote. Such alterations shall be subject to the prior approval of the General Committee of FPSC.
If at any time there is conflict between the Rules of FPS and FPSC, the FPSC Rules shall have precedence. The prevailing FPSC Rules and By-laws are available on the FPSC web-site.

5. Membership and membership categories

Full Membership shall be open to any person with a disability. This will provide sailing rights for the Full Member when using dinghies owned by FPS, social rights to FPS and FPSC for the Member and his or her immediate family and/or partner and/or carer. The Full Member shall have voting rights within FPS, providing the Member is aged 18 or over at the date of any such vote. In the case of Full Members under the age of 18 on the due date, a parent of guardian shall be entitled to one vote on their behalf.
Associate Membership shall be open to persons actively offering their help and expertise to Sailability. This will provide sailing rights for the member when using dinghies owned by FPS, social rights to FPS and FPSC for the Member and his or her immediate family and/or partner. Associate Members shall have voting rights within FPS, providing the Member is aged 18 or over on the date of any such vote.
Honorary Membership is for long standing members of FPS who, at the discretion of the FPS General Committee, have given outstanding service to FPS, but who are no longer actively involved. Honorary Membership carries no voting rights within FPS.
Applicants for Full and Associate Membership of FPS may be accepted by the FPS Membership Secretary, subject to any direction given by the General Committee, provided that application acceptance is completed at least 48 hours prior to the commencement of membership.
Other than Honorary Members, no persons shall be entitled to any of the benefits and privileges of FPS or FPSC until their completed initial membership application form or annual membership renewal form, as appropriate, has been accepted by the Membership Secretary...
No candidate will be denied membership on grounds of race, creed, colour, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, religion or political persuasion.

6. Annual subscription and fees

Changes to the annual subscription and fees shall be proposed by the General Committee of FPS and, after endorsement by the FPSC General Committee, be agreed by the members at a General Meeting.
Reduced subscriptions and fees may be made available on application to and at the discretion of the General Committee.

7. Retirement and expulsion from Membership

A member may retire from membership at any time by giving notice in writing to the Membership Secretary. The notice will be effective at the end of the membership year. Subscriptions already paid will not be refunded.
Any refusal or neglect to comply with FPS Rules, FPSC Rules and By-Laws, or any conduct unworthy of a member or prejudicial to the interests of FPS or FPSC, renders the member liable to expulsion by a resolution at a General Committee meeting.
At least one week before such meeting, the member concerned must be given written notice of the meeting and of the allegations made against them and of the intended resolution of their expulsion.
At the meeting, before the passing of the resolution, the member must be given an opportunity to explain or defend their position either orally or in writing.
A member expelled under this Rule may appeal to the next General Meeting of FPS, but their rights remain suspended until such meeting.
A member expelled under this Rule forfeits all rights in and claims upon FPS and its property.

8. Guests & Visitors

Members may introduce visitors to FPS and FPSC as guests, subject to the Rules of FPS and FPSC.
No more than three adult guests and their partner and children shall be introduced in any one day by one member. The same guest shall not be introduced more than three times in a calendar year.
Members shall enter the names of all guests in the FPS visitors book. The member will be held responsible for liabilities incurred by such guests, and shall remain on FPSC premises while such guests are present.
Member's guests intending to make frequent use of FPS and/or FPSC facilities must apply for the appropriate membership.
Visitors who are members of RYA recognised clubs and their supporters, and visiting on the invitation of FPS, are entitled to the privileges of membership of FPS during the period of the events for which they are invited, provided that such events are connected with FPSC as a Sailing Club.

9. General Committee

All the affairs of FPS shall be managed, except as otherwise provided for in these Rules, by the members of the General Committee, which will consist of the Chairman, General Secretary, and Finance Officer, plus a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 additional members. Five members shall form a quorum.
All the members of the General Committee shall be voting members of FPS. The Chairman shall be a member of FPSC of a category with FPSC voting rights.
All members of the General Committee must retire and be elected at each Annual General meeting, but each shall be eligible for re-election. The members of the General Committee shall annually elect one of their members to be Vice-Chairman.
The Chairman and Vice Chairman of FPS shall be ex-officio members of all FPS committees and sub-committees.
The General Committee shall have the power to co-opt, as necessary, other Full members or Associate members for specific purposes.
The General Committee shall appoint committees and/or sub-committees as are required, and may from time to time vary their composition, powers and duties.
General Committee Meetings will be held as required. They shall be convened by the General Secretary, who shall give notice to all the Committee members. All questions shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and voting. All members of the General Committee, including co-opted members shall be entitled to vote.

10. General Meeting of Members

The Annual General Meeting shall be held within three months following the annual accounting date each year (31 October).
Additional General Meetings may be called at any time by the General Committee or at the request of ten Full members entitled to vote, or by minuted resolution at the General Committees of FPSC.
Notice of every General Meeting shall be sent by the General Secretary to every Full member and Associate member at their preferred address, fourteen days prior to the meeting.
At every General Meeting, the Chairman, or in his absence, the Vice Chairman shall take the chair. If neither is present, a chairman shall be elected from other members of the General Committee present, and failing an election of a General Committee member, an election from the Full members themselves. Twelve Full members and/or Officers entitled to vote shall be a quorum for General Meetings.
All decisions (except Rule changes, see Section 4 above) at General Meetings shall be made by resolutions of a simple majority of Members at the time entitled to vote who are present and exercise their vote. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

11. Property & Assets

All property and assets, including funds, of FPS shall be deemed to be the property of FPSC unless documented otherwise as being in the ownership of any other third party.
The financial records of FPS shall be maintained by the Finance Officer in a manner as determined by the General Committee and as approved by the Treasurer of FPSC. The Finance Officer shall provide a monthly record and reconciliation of FPS accounts to the General Committee of FPS and to the Treasurer of FPSC.
An annual operating budget shall be prepared. This shall be approved by the General Committee of FPS prior to endorsement by the General Committee of FPSC. The General Committee shall have full powers for expenditure within the approved operating budget.
The FPS General Committee shall have the full power on behalf of FPS to acquire such property and rights and subject to such liabilities, and to enter into such agreements, deeds and arrangements as the General Committee shall think requisite for the purposes of furthering the aims of FPS and of carrying on its activities. The members of FPS for the time being shall indemnify such persons as may duly enter any contractual obligation in pursuance of this Rule provided that no such obligations shall be entered into without the previous sanction of a resolution passed at the General Meeting of FPS if it appears to the General Committee that the obligations would be likely to involve the members (on the basis of continued membership) in financial liabilities beyond the payment of their due subscriptions.

12. Dissolution

If at any General Meeting of FPS or FPSC, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of FPS, the FPSC General Secretary shall immediately convene an Additional General Meeting of FPSC to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
If, at the Additional General Meeting of FPSC , the resolution is carried by at least two thirds of the members present at the Meeting who are entitled to vote, the FPSC General Committee shall thereupon, or at such a date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of FPS and discharge all debts and liabilities of FPS.
After settling all liabilities of FPS, the FPSC General Committee shall dispose of the net assets to one or more of the following:
1. to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
2. to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club and/or

FPSC Rules