RULES OF THE HARROGATE CLUB
2024

1) NAME, ADDRESS & STATUS 

The name of the club is The Harrogate Club (herein referred to as “The Club”). It is an Unincorporated Membership Association run by a committee elected from and by its members. The Club’s premises are situated at 36 Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5PR.

2) OBJECTS

Its purpose is:

1. to promote fellowship among members and invited guests and to provide facilities and social activities, in keeping with The Club’s historic values, that can be enjoyed in a convivial and supportive atmosphere. 
2. to preserve, maintain and enhance The Club’s Victorian era premises.
3. to enter into reciprocal agreements with other clubs in the UK and abroad so that members may enjoy access to their facilities and members of these clubs may use the facilities of The Club.

3) MEMBERSHIP

All persons aged 18 and over, are welcome to apply for membership subject to agreeing to be bound by and to uphold The Club Rules and Byelaws.  They must also consent to the holding of relevant data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Any person applying to join The Club may do so for any of the categories of membership for which they qualify except for that of Honorary Member. Membership and annual renewal of membership is by invitation of the Committee.

Candidates for membership must be proposed and seconded by two existing members of good standing. Application is by completion of an application form on The Club website or, if internet access is not available, by email or post and must include the name, age, home and business address of the candidate and the name of any spouse or partner.

Candidates for membership shall be interviewed by one or more members of the membership subcommittee who will make recommendations to the Committee. The names of candidates will be displayed on The Club noticeboard prior to ratification.

Categories of Membership:

a) Town Members. These members, who either live or work within 15 miles of The Club premises, enjoy voting rights, Committee membership rights and full access rights to The Club at times to be determined by the Committee.

b) Country Members. These members do not live or work within a 15-mile radius of The Club premises. These members pay a reduced annual subscription as determined from time to time by the Committee. They can exercise full voting rights, serve on the main committee, subject to Rule 4c, and have full access rights to The Club at times to be determined by the Committee.

c) Young Members – These members are under 30 years at the time of application, and or renewal, as a member. They pay a reduced annual subscription as determined from time to time by the Committee. They can exercise full voting rights, serve on the Committee, subject to Rule 4c, and have full access rights to The Club at times to be determined by the Committee.

d) Joint Members – These members are two individuals who are married to each other or in a civil partnership and who live at the same address. Joint Members will in total pay 150% of their appropriate membership category.  Each of the joint members can exercise full voting rights, serve on the Committee, but not both at the same time, and have full access rights to The Club at times to be determined by the Committee.

e) Honorary Members: These members do not pay an annual subscription. Honorary membership is granted to long standing members who have made a significant contribution to Club life, subject to a recommendation from the membership subcommittee and ratification by the Committee. Honorary Members shall have full access to The Club and may serve on the Committee. Such membership may be time-limited as decided by the Committee. 

Subscriptions

All new members will pay a joining fee of an amount decided by the Committee from time to time.

The Committee will announce the annual subscriptions for each class of membership in November payable by 1^st January. Any member who does not pay their annual subscription by the end of January may be denied access to the Club and will be deemed to have resigned from the Club unless otherwise agreed by the Committee. If the resigned member then wishes to rejoin The Club they will be required to pay a joining fee unless waived by the Committee.  Subscriptions for members who join during the year are payable on their acceptance as members and are reduced pro rata for each month unexpired. On the death or resignation of a member, the Committee may approve the refund of all, or part of any subscription paid. 

Associates

The spouse or civil partner of a member is known as an Associate. Associates may attend The Club at any time when accompanied by their spouse or civil partner. They may also attend, without their spouse or partner, any event designated by the Committee as being open to unaccompanied Associates.

Associates are not members and do not have personal access to The Club or to its reciprocals. They do not have voting rights and may not serve as committee members.

Guests

Members may bring to The Club up to 4 guests at one time, or more if agreed with The Club manager, but, except with the approval of the manager, no individual guest will be allowed to visit on more than 4 occasions in any twelve-month period.  The number of guests who may attend a social event may be subject to restriction.

The name and address of each guest must be entered, by the member on each introduction, in the visitors’ book.

4) THE COMMITTEE

a) The Committee is jointly responsible for the management of The Club and, except for authority given to them by the Committee, no individual member of the Committee has executive powers.

b) The Committee is made up of 3 Officers (the President, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer), the Vice President, the Immediate Past President, if available, and up to 5 or 6 other members to give a maximum of 10 members.

The Officers are:

The President, who will normally chair all Committee meetings, is responsible for ensuring that the Committee in its deliberations is mindful of the Objects and Rules of The Club, reports to the Annual General Meeting on the organisation, activities and achievements of The Club during the previous year and the outlook and plans for the current year. The President carries responsibility for the wellbeing of The Club and is the principal representative of The Club.

The President will be elected for a period of 2 years.

If the office of President becomes vacant the Vice President will take over the role and may stand for election as President at the next AGM for a period of 1 or 2 years depending on how long they have already served.

The Honorary Secretary is responsible for maintaining the records of The Club, ensuring, in conjunction with the Committee, compliance with relevant laws, rules and regulations, preparing and distributing the agenda and minutes of all Committee meetings and, in conjunction with the President, the organisation, agenda and minutes of all General Meetings of The Club.

The Honorary Secretary is appointed for a period of 3 years and is eligible for re-election.

The Honorary Treasurer is responsible for the financial management of The Club, including compliance with the financial restrictions imposed by the rules, providing monthly reports on the financial affairs of The Club, providing forecasts of the financial results of the year, and advising the Committee on the probable effects of any proposed expenditure on the capital or income accounts and operating reserves. The Honorary Treasurer works with The Club’s External Accountant, who will prepare the Annual Accounts for review and adoption at the Annual General Meeting. The signed Annual Accounts will be distributed to the members not less than 21 days before the AGM. There is no statutory requirement for The Club’s accounts to be audited but the Committee or a group of at least 15% of the members may require that a full audit is conducted by an independent auditor. If the audit is conducted at the request of members, they will be responsible for the cost if an unqualified audit certificate is issued.

The Honorary Treasurer is appointed for a period of 3 years and is eligible for re-election.

In addition:

The Vice President deputises for the President as required.

The Vice President is elected for a period of 2 years co-terminus with the term of the President. If the Vice President is required to take on the role of President, or resigns, the Committee will appoint their successor who will stand for election at the next AGM.

c) The other Committee members are appointed for a period of three years and are eligible for re-election. Not more than 3 of any members of the Committee will be drawn from the Country, or Young members, with not more than 2 from any one of these categories. 

d) All members of The Club are eligible for election as an Officer or Committee Member subject to rule 4c and 3d. Members wishing to stand for election as an Officer or Committee Member must be nominated by a proposer and seconder who both have a minimum of one year’s membership of The Club. Nominees must be able to demonstrate that they have expertise in a field required for the effective management of The Club and that they are prepared to carry out duties related to that expertise as well as participating in the general oversight and management of The Club’s affairs.

e) If vacancies arise among the members of the Committee the Committee has the power to request nominations for new Committee members who may be co-opted to serve until the next Annual General Meeting when they must stand for election if they wish to remain on the Committee.

f) The Committee will normally meet once a month with a minimum of 8 meetings a year. the quorum is 4 members at least one of whom must be an Officer. The agenda for each Committee meeting will be displayed in The Club before the date of the meeting. The minutes of each meeting must be sent by email to all members.

g) Voting at the Committee will be by majority decision, with the Chair, who will be either the President, Vice President or their nominee, having a casting vote if the decision is tied.

h) A Committee member who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or transaction being considered by the Committee must declare that interest at the meeting held to discuss that proposal. The interested members must then withdraw. 

5) SUBCOMMITTEES 

a) Subcommittees may be established at the discretion of the Committee and made up of committee members and other Club members. 

b) All subcommittees shall have their scope and terms of reference established by the Committee to avoid overlap in responsibilities or ambiguity. 

c) Subcommittee Chairs are appointed by the Committee and normally sit on the Committee either as an elected member or as a co-opted member.

d) It is the responsibility of any subcommittee Chair to ensure that the decisions and actions of their subcommittee are consistent and within the Terms of Reference agreed by the Committee.

e) All Officers may attend any of the subcommittee meetings, having given prior notice to the subcommittee Chair, and as such should be made aware in advance of the date of subcommittee meetings.

f) The maximum number of members of a subcommittee should be 6. A quorum at each meeting shall be the Chair or the Chair’s nominee and two other members.

g) Subcommittees must not enter into service contracts, agreements or commercial arrangements relating to The Club without the prior approval, in writing, either from the Committee or an Officer as delegated by the Committee.

h) The Committee has the absolute discretion to remove a member from a subcommittee.

6) MANAGEMENT AND ASSETS

a) The Committee is responsible for the management of The Club and is expected to do so within the limits of its budgets and funds.

b) The premises of The Club are held for the benefit of members under the terms of a Trust Deed a copy of which is available for inspection on The Club premises. There shall be a minimum of 3 Trustees who shall all be members appointed by the Committee. The Trustees are obliged to follow the instructions of the Committee, but a majority of the Trustees can require that any instructions they believe to be in breach of the Trust Deed be ratified by the members in a General Meeting.

c) Neither the Trustees nor the Committee can allow the premises or any of the assets of The Club to be used as security for any money borrowed or to underwrite any other obligations of The Club.

d) If a resolution to dissolve The Club is passed by members then the Trustees, under the instruction of the Committee must realise The Club’s property and other assets, repay all loans, including any outstanding interest, discharge all other liabilities, including the costs of dissolution, and distribute and donate the balance to such registered charities as they see fit but with preference given to charities whose objects include the welfare of local citizens or the promotion of local sports or arts.

e) The Committee has the power to employ managers and such other staff as are necessary for the administration and provision of appropriate services to members and guests. The terms of employment shall comply with relevant employment laws.

f) The Committee can receive money on behalf of The Club by way of subscriptions, grants, inheritance, or any other lawful method and according to the Rules in order to finance the Objects of The Club.

g) All profits and surpluses from the financial activities of The Club including, but not limited to, the sale of food and liquor, the hire of The Club premises and income from leased premises shall be held in Club bank accounts and used solely for meeting the running costs of The Club, for augmenting reserves, repayment of loans or provisions for planned expenditure and any tax liabilities.

h) No money or property of The Club or any gain arising from the activities of The Club shall be used other than for the benefit of The Club as a whole or for the furtherance of the Objects of The Club 

i) The Committee shall hold in reserve sufficient money to cover 6 months running costs and any statutory obligations to employees. In exceptional financial circumstances, and with the unanimous agreement of the Committee, the reserve may be temporarily reduced to cover three months. 

j) The Committee may borrow money only to pay for the maintenance and improvement of the premises and this is subject to the prior approval of members in a General Meeting. Money may be borrowed from members, and interest paid to them, or from a bank at competitive interest rates. 

7) COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Formal complaints against members regarding breaches of rules or inappropriate behaviour must be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary and include details of the alleged offence including date, time and place and the names of any witnesses. 

The Committee may, pending the determination of the matter, suspend the Member from membership of The Club until the matter is resolved.  Where appropriate the Honorary Secretary will try to resolve the issue by informal means between the parties. If that is not possible, or if the matter is serious, the Immediate Past President, or the Vice President if no Immediate Past President is available, will conduct a thorough investigation. If the investigation finds cause, the Honorary Secretary will provide a copy of the Immediate Past President’s investigation report to a panel. The panel shall be the three Officers of The Club. The panel will consider the written complaint, the investigation report and will send copies of the same to the individual against whom the complaint is being made. The panel will hear any representations from the complainant and the individual against whom the complaint was made, each of whom may be accompanied by one observer who must be a member of The Club.  If the complaint is against an individual as an employee of The Club the panel will also ensure it complies with the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures in addition to The Club Rules. 

If at least two Officers agree that the complaint against an individual, as a member of The Club, be upheld then the panel may impose sanctions which could include suspension from the privileges of membership of The Club for a period of up to three months or, in the case of a serious breach of the Rules of The Club, expulsion from The Club. If an individual member refuses to accept the decision they will have the right to appeal, within 10 working days, to a further panel chaired by the President and four other Committee members, excluding the Officers who heard the original complaint. The decision of the appeal panel will be final. No legal representation will be allowed at any hearings and neither temporary exclusion nor expulsion from The Club will create an entitlement to a refund of any membership fees or expunge the liability to pay any outstanding debts to The Club.

If the complaint is against an individual as an employee of The Club, is investigated and is found to have merit, then The Club will ensure that further investigation is carried out as detailed in the employee complaints policy.

8) CLUB CONDUCT

a) All members, their associates and guests and visitors from reciprocal clubs, are required to respect the rights of other members to enjoy the amenities of The Club and to observe the House Rules and Byelaws relating to behaviour, dress and the use of Club facilities.

b) Members who engage in conduct unbecoming to the peace, good order, and proper governance of The Club, or who seek to improperly interfere with or otherwise disrupt the proper operations of The Club, its elected officers, Committee, or any member of staff, may not be invited to renew their membership at the end of the membership year.

c) Members may be required to pay for any damage they do to The Club’s premises and property. CCTV, under the supervision of The Club’s Data Controller, is in operation throughout The Club premises.

d) The Club property which includes newspapers, magazines, books and notices may not be removed from the premises or damaged or destroyed for any reason.

e) No person shall be invited into The Club if they have at any time been deemed unfit to be a member, have been expelled from Membership or, having been suspended, have subsequently resigned.

f) No member shall use the address of The Club on any prospectus or in any advertisement, or otherwise as their registered address or for any direct business purpose.

9) GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE CLUB

Quorum and Voting at General Meetings

a) The quorum for any General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership. 

b) Members may vote in person, by post, email or by the appointment of a proxy, who will vote at the meeting on their behalf. The forms required for voting by post, email or proxy can be obtained, on request, from the Honorary Secretary. Postal and email votes must be received by the Honorary Secretary at least 3 working days before the time of the meeting. The Honorary Secretary, together with one other Committee member, will count the votes cast for and against each resolution to be considered at the Meeting and provide the details to the Chair. Lodging a postal or email vote does not preclude a member from attending the meeting, but the member must not vote twice. Proxy votes will be collected at the meeting.

c) Resolutions will be passed by a simple majority of the votes cast except that any resolution to change the Constitution and Rules of The Club requires that at least two thirds of the votes cast are in favour of the resolution.

d) A resolution to dissolve The Club requires that at least two thirds of the votes cast are in favour of the resolution.

Annual General Meeting 

a) The Club’s financial year ends on 31st December and the AGM will normally be held no later than the end of April in the following year.

b) Notice of the AGM, stating its date, time and location, will be sent by the Honorary Secretary to every member entitled to vote, and posted on The Club notice board not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting. Included with the Notice will be the agenda of the business to be conducted at the Meeting and a copy of the Annual Accounts, prepared by The Club’s external accountants from information supplied by the Honorary Treasurer and signed by the President and Honorary Treasurer.

c) The business to be conducted at the AGM is to:

1. Consider and approve the minutes of the last AGM and any subsequent Special General Meetings.
2. Receive the report of the President on the affairs of The Club since the previous AGM and the plans for the current year.
3. To receive the Honorary Treasurer’s report and accounts for the preceding financial year and any Auditor’s Report if relevant.
4. To elect, if necessary, the President and Vice President. 
5. To elect, if necessary, the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, and other Committee members.
6. To appoint for the ensuing year The Club’s external accountants.
7. To approve any changes to the Constitution or Rules.
8. To transact Any Other Business notice of which was given in the Notice of the Meeting.

 Special General Meetings

1. A Special General Meeting may be convened, in The Club premises, at any time by the Committee, or on the written requisition of at least 15% of the Membership, delivered to the Honorary Secretary and stating the purpose for which the meeting is to be called and the terms of any resolution to be proposed at the meeting. 

1. The Honorary Secretary must arrange for the Special General Meeting to take place in line with the Committee decision or within 21 days from receipt of the members’ requisition.

1. Notice of the Special General Meeting stating its date, time, and the terms of any resolution to be proposed at the meeting shall be sent by the Honorary Secretary to every member entitled to vote and posted on The Club notice board not less than 14 days before the meeting.

1. The only business to be proposed and discussed at a Special General Meeting shall be that contained in the notice of the meeting.

10) INTERPRETATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE CLUB

No addition or alteration to these rules shall be made except at a General Meeting notice of which contains particulars of proposed addition or alteration.

Any member may raise an issue of compliance with the Constitution and Rules of the Club by writing to the Honorary Secretary who must add the item to the agenda of the next Committee meeting. The Committee’s decision on the construction of the Constitution and Rules or their interpretation shall be binding unless otherwise agreed in a General Meeting.

11) CLUB BYELAWS

The Committee may propose Byelaws, relating to the use of the Club premises, which must be circulated to members and displayed on the premises for 21 days before implementation. If during such time, 10% of the then current Membership object to the proposal then it must be put to the next AGM. 

12) HOUSE RULES 

House Rules are intended to ensure the comfort and well-being of members and their guests, and to avoid embarrassment.  House Rules may be amended from time to time by the Committee at its sole and absolute discretion.

March 2024