Our Constitution.
1) Club Rules
2) Membership fees
3) Safety at sea
4) Sailing Practice
Courtown Sailing Club:
Rules:
1.OBJECTIVES OF THE CLUB:
1.1 The objectives of the Courtown Sailing Club ( hereafter referred to as 'The Club')shall be to organise sailing races and other boating activities, to encourage interest in there and to develop relevant social amenities.
1.
2.MEMBERSHIP:
2.1 Membership shall consist of the following classes of members:-
a) Ordinary members, who must be 18 years of age or over on June 1st (of the current sailing season).
b) Family Group Membership ( ie Membership of a family including parents and
children under 18 years on June 1st of the current sailing year)
c)Junior Members, who must be under 18 years of age , on June 1st of the current
sailing season
d)Honorary Members ( including temporary honory members)
2.2 Anyone who had a mooring in Courtown Harbour in1983, or who participated in any of the sailing races organised there in 1983 shall be entitled to become a founder member ( in the appropriate category) of the club.
2.3 Elections of other persons to be members of the Club shall be carried out in accordance with regulations drawn up by the committee and approved (either with or without amendment) at and annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting of the club.
2.4 Election to membership and retention of membership shall 9 except in the case of honorary members) be subject to the payment of such entrance fees and annual subscriptions as may be fixed from time to time, at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting and to compliance with the timing and other conditions for such payments be laid down by the committee.
2.5Any member of the club who infringes or violates the rules and regulations of the club or whose conduct is, in the opinion of the Committee, derogatory to the club or its members, or injurious to the interests of the Club, may be expelled from membership of the club by the committee, but such expulsion must be made in accordance with regulations drawn up by the Committee and approves ( either with or without amendment) at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club.
3.THE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE OF THE CLUB
3.1The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a committee (here in after referred to as 'the committee') made up of the officers and four other members (not being junior or honorary members).
3.2The officers of the Club shall be a Commodore , Vice – Commodore, Honorary Secretary, and an Honorary Treasurer. The Commodore, when present shall act as Chairman of the Committee and in his absence, the Vice- Commodore and in the absence of both, the members present at a meeting shall elect a chairman.
3.3The officers and other members of the committee shall first be elected at the meeting at which those rules are adopted, by a simple majority of those present and voting who are entitled to become founder members of the club, and who are 18 years of age or over. In accordance with a procedure established at that meeting. The terms of office of those so elected shall commence forthwith and shall end on Sept 30th 1984.
3.4 Subsequently , the officers and other members of the Committee shall be elected annually bu a simple majority of the members who are 18 years of age or over, present and voting at the Annual General Meeting. In accordance with a procedure established at the Annual General Meeting. The term of office of those so elected shall commence on the first day of October following the election.
3.5 A vacancy occurring among the officers or other members of the committee during the year may be filled by co-option by the committee of a successor to the office concerned or to membership of the Committee , as the case may be.
3.6The quorum for the Committee shall be three.
3.7 Officers and members of the committee shall be eligible for re-election, but a person may not serve as Commodore for more than two years consecutively.
3.8 The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as it considers necessary to assist in it achieving the objectives of the Club and may delegate functions to any sub-committee. A sub-committee may include persons who are not of the main committee.
3.9 Decisions at meetings of the Committee or of a sub-committee shall be taken by a simple majority vote. In the case of a tie, the chairman shall have a casting vote.
3.10 In its management of th affairs of the Club, the Committee shall act in accordance with any general directions laid down at Annual General Meetings.
3.11 The Committee shall have the power to suspend and expel members who in the opinion of the Committee bring the club to disrepute, use Verbal or Physical abuse to its members, or whose conduct is derogatory to the Club or its members, or injurious to the interest of the club. Such suspension or expulsion may be appealed within 14 days of such suspension or expulsion if written notice of appeal is give. Such appeal must be heard of within 14 days if receipt.
4.ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS:
4.1An Annual General Meeting shall be held in August or September each year on a date and at a time and place fixed by the committee. Thirty days notice of the meeting shall be issued to members by the honorary secretary.
4.2An Annual General Meeting shall
a) receive from the outgoing Committee a report on the accounts and general concerns of the club for the proceeding year;
b)elect the officers and the Committee members for the succeeding year;
c)appoint auditors;
d) deal with any other business of interest to the Club of which notice in writing shall have been given to the honorary secretary by any member, fourteen clear days before the meeting and may discuss and make recommendations to the incoming Committee on any other matters of concern to the Club.
4.3Except for the decisions under 7.1 , resolutions st an Annual General Meeting may be passed by a simple majority of the members, 18 years of age or over, who are present and voting.
5.SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS;
5.1The Committee may at any time call a Special General meeting on a date and at a time and place fixed by the committee to deal with particular business of interest to the Club, specified in the notice of the meeting , which shall be issued to members fourteen days before the date fixed for the meeting.
5.2Except for decisions under rule 7.1 resolutions at a Special General Meeting may be passed by a simple majority vote of the members, 18years of age or over, who are present and voting.
6.TRUSTEES
6.1An Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting may appoint trustees to manage property of the Club in accordance with conditions decided at that meeting.
7 AMENMENTS AND ADDITIONS
7.1Additions or amendments to these rules may be made by resolution passed at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members , 18 years or over, who are present and voting.
Annual Subscriptions
Ordinary Members -
Family Members -
Student Members -
Junior Members -
A racing Levy of .... per competing boat is payable in addition to the Annual Subscriptions.
Annual Membership Subscriptions shall be due on ....... each Season. A Levy of 10% of the appropriate subscription be payable on payments received after the .... each season.
.... entrance fee at Present.
Safety at Sea
The responsibility for safety while sailing whether racing or otherwise, rests with the skipper of the boat.
The following is a check – list for skipper.
EQUIPMENT;
Check rigging and equipment regularly.
For Cruiser Racing the minimum safety equipment should include:-
1)An anchor of suitable size and at least 30 meters of anchor rope and chain.
2)A suitable pump and bucket
3)Life jackets for each person on board.
4)A reliable engine and sufficient fuel to cover all eventualities. A spare set of plugs and spanner for petrol engines is recommended together with essential tools for emergency repairs and adjustments.
5)A compass
6)A ladder ( rope or otherwise)
7)Red distress flares ( operational)
8)A hooter or whistle
9)A fire extinguisher
10) A sailing knife
11)A first aid kit
Sailing Practices
Sail only with the capability of the boat and the crew. Watch for changes in the weather. If, particularly when racing , a boat gets into trouble ( man overboard, dismasting, capsize, etc.) any boat seeing it should immediately go to its aid.
Crew members may be injured or the boat might be in danger of sinking or going aground. Even if your boat is to small to tow the damaged boat, help can be given in other ways – particularly by going back to the harbour to enlist aid. Where a boat ceases racing or is delayed while going to a disabled boat , it will be credited with the two points given to finishers and if the committee so decides, further points to allow for the likely placing of the boat if it continued to sail. Each boat should be alert to the possibility of going to the aid of others and if you see a need for aid, act without delay unless you are satisfied that another boat is already heading to the aid of the disabled one.
There are many different situations which can arise to put a boat in danger . Several manuals and handbooks are published on sailing and cruising which contain advise on safety at sea. Study of these is recommended.