1. TITLE
The Club shall be known as the Sunniside Riding Club
2. OBJECTS
The objects of the Club shall be:
(a) To promote participation in and provide facilities for the amateur sport of riding in
Sunniside and surrounding areas (although membership will not be limited to those residing in those areas.)
(b) To encourage riding as a sport and recreation, to promote good fellowship amongst riders
and to improve and maintain the standard of riding and horsemanship.
(c) To organise instructional meetings, lectures and competitive events and other activities to
further the objects.
(d) To be affiliated to The British Horse Society and to support and co-operate with recognised
organisations interested in the breeding and use of all breeds and types of horses and ponies.
(e) To investigate the subject of bridle tracks and rights of way with a view to opposing those
that have been closed and maintaining and more clearly defining those that are in existence.
(f) To concern itself with any object which will benefit the horse and horse user in the district.
3. MEMBERSHIP
This shall consist of persons who have attained the age of eighteen years (and persons aged
seventeen years and under if a junior section is formed) and, having been accepted by the
Committee, have paid the due subscription for the current period. Honorary membership may be
conferred by the Committee upon any person deemed by them to have rendered notable service to
the Club. No junior member may be a voting member of any Riding Club. However, if junior membership exceeds 20 the junior membership may appoint a Junior Committee to discuss matters relevant to
the junior membership. This Committee, through the Chairman of said Committee, may make
recommendations to the Adult Committee for their consideration. If the junior membership has fewer than 20 in numbers they may appoint a representative to liaise with the Senior committee.
4. A member shall complete the application form as prescribed by the committee. 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. The committee may refuse membership only for good cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal may be made to the members. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis.
5. The annual subscription shall be payable on the first day of the Club’s financial year. Any member
whose subscription is more than three months in arrears shall have his or her name removed from
the Membership List after written notice to the effect has been sent to him or her. Any member
joining the club on or after 1 January shall be deemed to have paid his or
her subscription for the ensuing year. This does not exclude the Committee from extending membership for longer than 1 year if they feel it is appropriate.
6. The Committee may expel from membership of the Club any member who has breached any of the
rules of the Club, or who has in the opinion of the Committee have been guilty of any conduct
derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interest of the Club, provided that before expelling
him or her the Committee shall allow the member to appeal the decision to the members and provide an explanation of his/her conduct and allow a proper opportunity of answering the allegations against him/her.
7. ADMINISTRATION
The Committee
(a) All powers of management shall be vested in the adult Committee consisting of the
Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and five other Committee
Members with two officials and two representative committee members forming a quorum.
(b) At the Annual General Meeting each year, one third of the members of the Committee
shall retire, the members to retire being those who have been longest in office. Those who
have been in office for the same length of time shall determine retiring members by lot.
Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.
c) The Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected annually by
the Committee from amongst their number.
(d) The decision of the Committee shall be final unless over-ruled at a General Meeting.
(e) The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the rules and for anything
relating to the club not provided therein and their decision shall be final and binding on the
members.
(f) The Committee may formulate bye-laws for the detailed running of the Club and elect
subcommittees for any special activities of the Club which the Committee may authorise.
(g) The Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy arising amongst members
of the Committee, but any person so co-opted shall retain office only until the next
following Annual General Meeting and then shall be eligible for re-election.
8. The financial year of the Club shall commence on the 1 January in each year.
9. The annual subscription shall be £25 or such other sum as shall from time to time be
determined by the Committee. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
10. The Committee may appoint annually a President and Vice-Presidents. They shall not by virtue
only of such appointment become members of the Committee.
11. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in January / February of each year to transact the
following business:
(a) To receive and if approved to adopt a Statement of the Club’s Accounts to the end of the
preceding year.
(b) To fill vacancies on the Committee
(c) To appoint an Auditor
(d) To deal with any special matter which the Committee may desire to bring to the members
and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee. Notice
convening the General Meeting shall be sent to the members not less than 14 days
before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
12. A special General Meeting may be called by the Committee, or by a request signed by not less
than five members specifying the business to be discussed. The Secretary shall give all members
ten days notice of the date of such a meeting and shall specify in such notice matters to be dealt
with at the meeting.
13. The Accounts of the Club shall be audited or verified each year by the person appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting. Accounts must be audited or verified by an independent professional.
14. Notice may be given to any member by sending it by post to him at his address in the United
Kingdom registered in the records of the Club. If any member has no address in the United
Kingdom such member shall not be entitled to receive any notice. The accidental omission to give
notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of a notice of a meeting by any member shall not
invalidate the proceedings of the meeting.
15. These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual or Special General
Meeting, provided that no such resolution, shall be deemed to have been passed, unless carried by
a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting thereon and provided that prior
notice has been sent to all members stating the proposed amendment.
16. Members shall be correctly turned out at all Club events. Any protective clothing required by current British Riding Clubs rules must be worn. (See current BRC Rulebook)
17. All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.
18. In the event that dissolution of the Club shall occur, the assets of the Club shall be used first to discharge all liabilities of the Club and the remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity or the sport’s governing body for use by them in related community sports.
December 2019