Rules
PORTISHEAD PROBUS CLUB RULES – Confirmed at 18/9/2024 AGM meeting
1. The name of the Club shall be Portishead Probus Club.
2. The primary aim of the Club will be to promote good fellowship.
3. Membership shall be open to professional or business people who are retired, semi-retired or approaching retirement and of good character and respected in their communities.
4. The club shall be non-political and non-sectarian.
5. Dress Code is “smart casual”.
6. Membership applications shall be sponsored by two club members and acceptance shall be at the discretion of the Committee. Application shall be made in writing upon the appropriate form available from the General Secretary.
7. Club members’ personal details provided on the Membership Application Form will be stored and processed in line with the current applicable General Data Protection Regulations. When a Club Member wishes to have any personal data of another member or members he shall apply to the General Secretary. The General Secretary will pass that request on to the relevant member(s). The Member(s) concerned, if they so wish, will pass on that information via the General Secretary. In the event that the request is declined the General Secretary will advise the Member making the request.
8. Any Member of the Club can terminate their Membership at any time by notifying the Secretary.
9. The annual subscription shall be fixed at the AGM. Should a member’s subscription not have been paid by 10 weeks after the AGM. the membership shall lapse, subject to confirmation by the committee. A new member may be entitled to a concessionary initial subscription, the amount to be determined by the Treasurer.
10. The financial year shall end on the last day of August and the AGM shall be held on the third Wednesday of September in each year.
11. Any Banking arrangements or changes thereto should be proposed by the Treasurer and authorised by the Committee. The Membership should be advised of these changes at the earliest opportunity. Signatures of any two officers from the Treasurer, Chair, Immediate Past Chair and Secretary will be required for cheques. The Treasurer only may conduct Internet banking for the Club, providing a mandate is signed by at least two signatories, or whatever the bank requires.
12. Members may introduce guests provided that the same guest shall not be invited to more than two meetings in any year. At the December and June meetings spouses/partners/friends are invited.
13. The Committee shall consist of : Chair, Vice-Chair, Immediate Past Chair, Treasurer/Dining Secretary, General Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Speaker Secretary, Special Lunch Secretary, Webmaster, plus 2 Committee Members. Committee members shall be elected at the AGM and any vacancy shall be filled by resolution of the Committee. The Chair shall automatically retire from office at the end of one year in the chair.
In the event of there not being a Chair Elect, the outgoing Chair can be invited serve for ONE further year. No ordinary committee member can serve for more than a year without re-election. Five members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, two to be Officers. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt to fill a vacancy and to appoint sub-committees.
14. The Treasurer shall report the Annual Accounts and inventory at the AGM. An independent Accounts Examiner shall be elected at the AGM.
15. Members will be notified of the details of the lunch in advance of the meeting. The Dining Secretary should be informed of the intention to dine or not and of any guest invited by 6.00 pm on the Friday before the meeting. If this deadline is missed it may not be possible to book a lunch. There can be no BACS refunds or waiver of cash payment due for failure to attend a booked lunch. If possible payment for the lunch should be made by BACS before this deadline, otherwise BACS or cash on the day is acceptable. No cheques please. The payment details will be provided by the Dining Secretary.
16. In the event of the winding up of the Club, its property and assets of every kind shall be disposed of as the Committee considers appropriate.
17. These Rules may only be altered by a resolution of the majority of the members attending the AGM or at a regular meeting provided that all members have had prior notice.