Rules
1) NAME - The name of the Club shall be “The Felixstowe Master Mariners’ Club”.
2) AIMS & OBJECTS - The object of the Club is to meet regularly at luncheon or dinner at a place selected by the Committee in order to maintain and foster, locally, social and professional comradeship amongst its Members so as to afford the opportunity for discussion of matters nautical and of general interest and to sponsor selected projects of special nautical interest.
3) MANAGEMENT -
a) The Management of the Club shall be vested in a Committee consisting of not more than 12 Members which shall include the Captain, Staff Captain, Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and Clerk. The Committee may, to suit special circumstances, co-opt additional Members at its discretion.
b) The Committee Members are to retire annually at the annual meeting in March and the vacancies filled by general election at that meeting. Retiring Members shall be eligible for re-election. All Club Members whose subscriptions are not in arrears shall have one vote in respect of each vacancy.
c) A quorum of the Committee shall comprise 7.
d) All business arrangements entered into by the retiring Committee shall be binding on the new Committee, but the liability of the Members shall be limited to the amount of their annual subscription.
e) The Club’s financial year shall close on December 31st.
4) NON-POLITICAL - The Club shall be non-political.
5) MEMBERSHIP - Membership of the Club shall be confined to persons falling within one of the following classifications, namely:
a) FULL MEMBERS - Master Mariners holding a valid Certificate of Competency as Master (Unlimited) issued by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) or a Certificate of Competency as Master (Unlimited) granted by a Government outside the United Kingdom, which, at the time of election, is recognised and listed by the United Kingdom Government as having the same force as a Certificate of Competency as Master (Unlimited) granted by the MCA.
b) ASSOCIATE MEMBERS – Officers holding a valid Certificate of Competency as Chief Mate (Unlimited), or OOW (Unlimited), issued by the MCA, and persons who, in the opinion of the Committee, are suitable to become Members of the Club, preference being given to persons having some connection with sea and ships.
c) HONORARY MEMBERS – Persons whose status is, in the opinion of the Committee, such as to render it desirable that they should be Honorary Members.
6) APPLICATIONS -
a) Applications for membership will be considered and dealt with by the Committee.
b) Application for membership, which may be made on line, shall be made on the latest version of the Club’s regular proposal form and forwarded to the Secretary for submission to the Committee.
c) No application for membership shall be considered by the Committee unless one week has elapsed between the receipt by the Secretary of the proposal form, signed by the applicant’s proposer and seconder, and the meeting of the Committee.
d) Members of the Committee, when considering any application for membership, shall declare any personal or special interest in the candidate.
e) The Committee shall not be bound to make a decision on a candidate but may postpone making a decision until a subsequent meeting.
f) The Committee shall make such enquiries as it may think expedient into the character and behaviour of the candidate and as to his general suitability for membership, having regard to the preference of the majority of Members of the Club.
7) SUBSCRIPTIONS -
a) The annual subscription for Members shall be such amount as defined by the committee and Members who are retired and over 65 years of age shall only be required to pay half the amount. Adjustments to annual subscriptions shall be at the discretion of the Committee.
b) If a Member’s subscription has not been paid by 28th February his membership shall lapse and, in the event of such Member’s desiring to renew his membership, the Member shall be liable for a £50.00 administration fee to re-join. Such Member shall be required to pay all arrears and submit to re-election before being re-instated. The date of the commencement of his membership shall be the date of re-election.
c) The Committee shall require all applicants to pay an joining fee of such amount as shall be from time to time seem appropriate. Such entrance fee shall be paid on application.
8) COMMITTEE MEETINGS - The Committee shall meet at least once quarterly to transact necessary business and can be called together by the Secretary at other times, if necessary.
9) TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
The Committee shall, at its absolute discretion and without assigning any reason, be entitled to: -
a) Refuse membership of the Club to any applicant.
b) Terminate, without notice, the membership of any Member whose conduct it considers to be, or to have been, detrimental or injurious to the welfare, character, interest or good name of the Club. Any Member so ceasing to be a Member of the Club shall forfeit all rights to any claim upon the Club, its property or funds.
10) REVISION OF THE RULES
These Rules are subject to revision or alteration at the Annual Meeting, on at least one month’s notice in writing, being given to the Secretary. The votes of at least two thirds of the Members present at that meeting shall be required to carry any motion for such revision or alteration, except that alteration or revision of Rule 5 shall require a unanimous vote of those present.
11) GUESTS - Members are permitted to bring guests to meetings having given due notice to the Secretary or his Assistant. No person shall be allowed to attend as a guest more than twice in any one year.
12) DISSOLUTION
In the event of its becoming impossible, or impracticable, or inadvisable to carry on the Club, the Committee shall have the power to decide upon its dissolution, in which event it shall be competent for the Committee to alienate any of the Club property left after discharging the liabilities of the Club. In the event of such dissolution the residue to the funds remaining after all debts of the Club have been discharged shall be allocated to such charities as in the opinion of the Committee may have the best claim upon the general feelings of Members.
Approved at the AGM 15th March 2016
Secretary – Tim Thompson - m: 07880-737322 - e: secretary@mastermariners.uk