Club Rules & Regulations

IPMS Southend Model Club is and shall be affiliated to IPMS (UK) international Plastic Modellers’ Society, as founded in Great Britain in 1963

1. INTERPRETATION

In these Rules & Regulations the terms used have the following meaning:

“Member” means a Member of the Club.

“Director” means a Member serving on the Committee of the Club.

“Appropriate annual subscription” means the annual subscription payable by each member appropriate to their class of membership.

“Directors Office” means an administrative function within the Club created by the Committee. The current offices are, but may vary from time to time:-

“President” chairs all meetings of the Committee and any general meeting. In the event of a tied vote they have a casting vote unless prohibited from voting by a conflict of interest.
“Vice President” means the Committee member chosen by the other Committee members to act as a substitute for the President
“General & Membership Secretary” keeps the minutes of the Club and deals with matters relating to the administration of the Club, maintains the Membership data and processes subscriptions relating to Membership renewals and new Members and other duties pertinent to membership administration, ensures that the Club operates within the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations.
“Honorary Treasurer” maintains the accounting records of the Club and associated tasks, including production of statutory accounts and any associated matters.
“Competition Secretary” organises the competition at Club meetings.
“Liaison Officer” is responsible for communications between the Committee and other clubs, as well as communication with show organisers, other organisations and members of the general public.
“Webmaster” is responsible for oversight of the Club’s website and other electronic communications and for making arrangements to keep them up to date.
“Technical Advisor” is responsible for helping members to improve their modelling skills and assisting them with any technical queries they may have.

“Renewal Date” means the date provided by the Club to the Member, when joining, as set out in Rule 3 upon which the renewal payment for the subscription must be paid by.

“Final Accounts” means the accounts of the Club, in respect to any financial year.

“General meeting” means a meeting other than the Annual General Meeting called either by the Committee or by the requisite number of members.

“Motion” means any motion proposed at any AGM or general meeting.

“Competition” means any competition for scale models organised at any time by the Club.

“Notice of Motion” means written notice of any Motion.

“President’s Report” means the report of the President for the time being of the Club.

“Senior Membership” means any Member over the age of 18 (eighteen).

“Junior Membership” means any Member under the age of 18 (eighteen).

2. MEMBERSHIP

2.1 Membership categories will be defined from time to time by the Committee and the rate of subscription for each category will be determined by the Committee.

2.2. The Committee will only approve an application for membership when the applicant completes the approved membership application form and upon paying the appropriate annual subscription.

2.3. The General & Membership Secretary will advise all new members on joining the Club where they can view the Club Rules & Regulations. A copy of the Rules & Regulations is available on the Club website. Physical copies are available upon request.

2.4. If as a result of proposals carried at the AGM, there are amendments to the Club Rules & Regulations the revised wording will be notified to all members and an updated copy made available on the Club website.

2.5. The classes of membership of the Club are presently classified as:

Senior
Junior
Life (Honorary)

2.6. Life membership will be granted, by the Club, to any person that the directors consider, (decided at a director’s meeting), has served the Club in an exceptional way. Any Life member will be exempted from paying the “annual subscription” due under the Club Rules.

3. MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

3.1 Membership of the Club will automatically terminate 1 month after the Renewal Date unless the appropriate subscription has been paid in full for the succeeding year. An annual subscription is paid on or before the Renewal Date if on or before that date the Member provides cash, an online payment, or a card payment.

3.2 The Committee may, in their absolute discretion, terminate any Membership should they consider the Member to have been guilty of unreasonable misconduct affecting the Club or its Members or any other conduct which renders such person unfit to be a Member of the Club, provided that the Committee act reasonably when reaching their decision to terminate any membership.

4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

4.1. The Rules & Regulations of the Club shall be that proposed by the Committee and agreed by the Members at the AGM or other general meeting and shall be given effect by the Committee. The general Policies and Procedures of the Club shall be that agreed by the Committee and notified to members as required.

4.2. At the AGM, which shall be held in March each year, the President’s report and the Final Accounts shall be presented together with all motions and resolutions and such additional business as the Committee consider necessary.

4.3. The General & Membership Secretary, or an appointed Member, shall take minutes at an AGM or other general meeting.

4.4. Admission to the AGM will be (if required) by production of a valid membership card.

4.5. Notice of any Resolution for an AGM, duly proposed and seconded, is to be given to the General & Membership Secretary in writing not later than the last day of the month (By postmark) before the next following AGM. Resolutions for consideration at the AGM may also be processed by an email thread from the proposer and seconder, with their formal signatures in writing being provided to the General & Membership Secretary before production of the AGM agenda. All such Resolutions submitted should come before the AGM, although the Committee are authorised to “double up” any duplicated Resolutions submitted, provided that this is noted.

4.6. All valid Resolutions submitted for the following AGM shall be published as soon as possible after the deadline for submissions.

4.7 Any proposal to amend a Resolution must be delivered to the Club in writing 48 hours before a general meeting and must not, in the reasonable opinion of the chair of that meeting, materially alter the scope of the resolution. If these conditions are not met then the amendment shall be deferred to the next general meeting.

4.8. A Resolution shall consist of only that text which is necessary to give an instruction to the Club; any notes of explanation should be brief and may be condensed by the Committee.

4.9. Directors and any person or committee to whom the Committee have delegated some of their powers will submit a written report of their activities to the AGM and may be required to answer questions thereon.

4.10. The AGM shall be held in a venue selected by the Committee with a view to maximising attendance and with regard to ease of access. The venue and date shall be announced as soon as practicable prior to the AGM.

4.11. Ordinary motions require a simple majority of those voting in order to be carried. Special resolutions require 75% of those voting to vote in favour for the motion to be carried. Special resolutions are required under the Companies Act for particular transactions, and in the case of the Club are also required where a motion would cause any reduction in the benefits of membership.

4.12. Where a Member has delivered a proxy vote but then attends the general meeting in respect of which that postal or proxy vote has been given, their proxy vote is rendered null and void.

4.13 Over 50% of persons entitled to vote upon the business to be transacted, each being a Member or a proxy for a Member shall be a quorum for any general meeting of the Club. No business other than the appointment of the chairman of the meeting is to be transacted at a general meeting if the persons attending it do not constitute a quorum.

5. DIRECTORS

5.1. The AGM shall elect Directors to fill the various offices on the Committee for which there are vacancies. The number of elected Directors must not be less than 5 and if there is a shortfall the elected Directors must call another general meeting for the purpose of electing the additional number of Directors required.

5.2. No Member may offer themselves for more than one office at any AGM.

5.3. The General & Membership Secretary shall read out all the names received, and the office the Members concerned wish to hold, to the AGM and such Member shall be deemed proposed for election.

5.4 Each office shall then be voted on by the meeting, and the Member who receives the highest votes for each particular office shall be elected. Where there is only one candidate for a post, each Member of the Club may either vote for or against the election of that sole candidate.

5.5. The General & Membership Secretary or other appointed Director shall take minutes of all meetings and distribute them to the Committee as far in advance of the following meeting as possible. If the General & Membership Secretary is not present at any meeting, those Directors present shall select one of those present to take and subsequently distribute the minutes.

5.6. If the numbers of elected Directors exceeds the minimum requirement of 5 but the elected Directors decide that additional persons are required to assist in any role, the Committee may co-opt additional members as required. Such co-opted members would not have Director’s powers.

5.7. If the Committee consider that a need arises for an additional office or that an office has become redundant, they may decide to create or eliminate offices as required. If an office is eliminated the holder of that office will retain their position as a Director until due to stand for re-election.

5.8 The Committee shall meet at least three times a year. At the first meeting of Committee after an AGM, the Committee shall fix the number for their quorum. The quorum must not be less than 5 but will generally be set at half the number of the elected Directors plus 1.

5.9. No Member may serve as a Director of the Club whilst their names appear on the Individual Insolvency Register or the Companies House database of disqualified directors.

5.10. No Member may serve as a Director of the Club if they have been convicted of an offence and have subsequently been imprisoned for more than 6 months. This restriction will no longer apply if more than 5 years have elapsed from the expiry of the sentence dated from the AGM at which they submitted their application (Companies Act 2013 refers).

5.11. No Member may serve as a Director of the Club if they have been convicted of an offence and have subsequently been imprisoned for more than 7 years (Companies Act 2013 refers).

5.12. No Member may serve as a Director of the Club if they have been convicted of an offence that causes, or if their current or past actions causes, the Disqualification/Disclosure by Association or compromises the employment Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) of a fellow Director.

5.13. No Member may serve as a Director of the Club if they have been convicted of an offence for dishonesty or fraud, even if that only results in a suspended sentence.

6. OTHER GENERAL MEETINGS

6.1. If the Committee consider there is a need for another general meeting they may arrange for one to be held.

6.2. Admission to an additional general meeting and voting rights therein shall be on the same basis as that for an AGM.

7. FINANCE

7.1. The financial year of the Club shall end on 28th February each year unless a resolution to change the accounting date in passed at an AGM.

7.2. The final accounts shall be produced and available to view by the membership prior to the AGM. In addition, the Honorary Treasurer shall provide figures in respect of any annual show and an analysis of directors’ expenses. Members requesting an additional copy shall be entitled to receive such copy on payment of a charge to cover post and copy charges.

7.3. All monies belonging to the Club shall be paid by the President, Honorary Treasurer, the General & Membership Secretary, or any other Director as approved at a meeting of the Committee into a bank account in the name of the Club (IPMS Southend Model Club). Any other Director receiving Club funds shall pass them to the President, Honorary Treasurer or General & Membership Secretary for banking. No Director may pay cash or cheques received into a Club bank account without using a method approved by the Honorary Treasurer. Any Director paying money into the bank shall notify the Honorary Treasurer as soon as possible and provide full details of either the paying-in slip reference, sums banked and details of the type of income banked.

7.4. A minimum of two Directors must be authorised to operate the Club’s bank accounts and any other accounts (such as online payment media). A minimum of one director must approve any payment made by the Club (being the President, Honorary Treasurer or General & Membership Secretary) for it to be held as valid. Any variation of this procedure shall require approval of the Committee.

7.5. The Club shall have the power to participate in a standing order or direct debiting scheme as the originator for the purpose of collecting Annual Subscriptions and/or any other amounts due to the Club.

7.7. No Director may enter into any financial commitment exceeding £2,000 without either the written prior consent of the majority of the Committee or a decision recorded in the minutes of a Directors’ meeting (if minutes were taken). Written consent to contractual commitments does not include exchange of emails or other electronic communications that purport to be sent by Directors to other Directors. In cases where an urgent decision is required and cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting of the Committee, the action must be approved by at least three Directors (to include the President or Honorary Treasurer) and a full report presented for ratification of the action taken at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee.

7.8 Any contract, transaction or arrangement of value exceeding £2,000 shall only be valid and binding on the Club if it is approved in accordance with 7.7 above and is signed by all Directors on behalf of the Club. In any case where this limit is likely to be exceeded the suppliers approached must be informed of this restriction on Directors’ powers.

8. COMPETITIONS AND DISPLAYS

8.1. The Club may hold a Competition each month at a date and venue decided by the Committee. Rules for participation in this competition will be announced after approval by the Committee. Any changes to the Competition Rules will be notified to the membership.

8.2. The Club may arrange, or participate in, other competitions or displays as the Committee deem desirable. A “Risk Assessment” and “Public Liability Insurance” (whether provided by IPMS and/or the Club) shall be in place for the benefit and protection of the Committee, IPMS and non IPMS Club Members. Whilst participating in other competitions or displays, the conditions of the “Risk Assessment” and “Public Liability Insurance” shall be adhered to by members at all times.

8.3. Club attendance at, or participation in, competitions or displays arranged by other Clubs or bodies will usually be arranged by the Liaison Officer. Any Member wishing the Club to attend such an event should notify the Committee with a minimum 3 months’ notice that the Committee can ascertain sufficient Members are interested to ensure cover for the event and to duly arrange for the Club’s attendance with the event organisers.

8.4. The Club title (IPMS Southend Model Club) may not be used for any commercial purpose without the approval of the Committee.

8.5. Admission to any other event or competition organised by the Committee shall be based on the following categories of entry fee:

(a) Club life, senior, and junior, Members supported by a current membership card.

(b) Equivalent members of other IPMS organisations supported by a current membership card.

9. GIFTS TO THE CLUB

9.1 All gifts, awards and presentations to the Club as a whole shall be held by the President (or nominated Director) during their term of office. When a new President is elected all such items shall be transferred to them without delay. The General & Membership Secretary shall keep a record of all such gifts to the Club.

9.2 Review Samples can only be requested by the President, Liaison Officer or Webmaster.

A register of all gifted review items received is to be maintained.
A recipient of a gifted review item may distribute within the Club as they feel appropriate in order to conduct that review.
Reviewers are obliged to review the gifted item as soon as possible. In the case of a kit or accessory they are to be built in good time and not reviewed only as a box review.
Reference materials in whatever form are to be forwarded to the “Technical Advisor” after review.
Built kits are to be evidenced to the initial recipient of the item in good time.
Failure to comply with these rules will exclude the reviewer from any further review items.