Objectives of Hailsham Memorial Institute (hereinafter known as the club): shall be to provide social and games facilities for the members under the terms of the original gift from James Robert Green and Arthur William Green.


1.                  Membership.  There are three categories of membership: Full, Junior and Temporary. Each candidate for Membership shall be proposed and seconded by a Full Member. Applications must be made on the form provided and the membership application fee and subscription (which will be returned if the application is refused) must be paid at the time the form is submitted. The proposer and seconder shall be held responsible for the new member’s conduct for the first 12 months of membership. All persons of either sex aged eighteen years and upwards shall be eligible for Full Membership provided they are accepted by the General Committee. Applications for Junior Membership will be considered from children of either sex of sixteen or seventeen years of age provided each application is sponsored by their parent or guardian, who must be a Full Member of the Club and shall be responsible for the conduct of the Junior Member whilst on the Club premises. Junior Members shall not have the right to vote, propose or second Memberships, or sign in guests.

Applications for Membership made after 31st October and in January, February and in March up to and including the AGM will be considered by the Committee after the A.G.M.

 Membership applicants will be admitted to the club on production of their receipt for application for membership. Applications for membership will be accepted from guests who have visited the club more than seven times in the year (see rule 12). All fees must be paid, and the receipt for same must be produced at each attendance at the club. On ‘Members Only’ occasions, only full members will be allowed entrance to the club.

 Applications for Temporary Membership will be considered from persons who are over the age of eighteen, and who are temporarily resident in the area, for example, while on holiday, working, or staying with relatives. Temporary membership may be granted for a period of not exceeding 14 days. No more than THREE temporary memberships shall be allowed to any individual in a calendar year. Extensions to Temporary membership will not be permitted. Temporary membership shall not be useable in the evening of Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. No person may be admitted to Membership or enjoy any of the privileges of Membership until the next Committee meeting has ratified his/her application for Membership and his/her admission as a Member. Any person who may become a Member without prior application or nomination shall not be admitted to the privileges of Membership without an interval of at least two days between his/her becoming a Member and his/her admission.

      

2.                  Subscriptions. The minimum subscription shall be £12.00 (incl. VAT) per annum payable in advance on 1st January or at the time of application for Membership. The minimum subscription for persons over the age of 60 years shall be £5.00 (incl. VAT) per annum. The minimum subscription for Junior Members shall be £4.00 (incl. VAT), this to cover the Junior Member until he/she reaches the age of eighteen and applies for Full Membership. The minimum subscription for Temporary membership shall be £6.00 (incl. VAT). Any Member whose subscription has not been paid by the last day of January of the current year shall cease to be a Member and forfeit all rights and privileges of Membership, and shall be required to complete a fresh Application Form, if he or she wishes to re-apply for Membership. A registration fee of £18.00 (incl. VAT) shall be charged on all first or re-applications for Membership. At the same time, full members shall pay an annual subscription of £12.00 (incl. VAT), and members over the age of 60 years shall pay an annual subscription of £5.00 (incl. VAT).

      

3.                  Hours of Opening. The Club shall be open on Weekdays and Saturdays (including Bank Holidays) from 10.30 a.m. until the latest closing hour permissible under the Licensing Act, and on Sundays and Good Friday from noon until the latest closing hour permissible under the Licensing Act. The Club shall be closed entirely on Christmas Day. The General Committee shall have the power to amend this Rule.

      

4.                  Licensing Hours. The Bar shall be open on Weekdays and Saturdays (including Bank Holidays) from 11.00am until the Licensing Hour permissible under the Licensing Act, and on Sundays from 12 noon until the Licensing Hour permissible under the Licensing Act. On Good Friday, the bar shall be open from 12 noon until the Licensing Hour permissible under the Licensing Act. The General Committee shall have power to amend this Rule, within the limits of the Licensing Hours then in force in the Hailsham District.

      

5.                  Annual General Meeting.  An Annual General Meeting of Members shall be held on the third Tuesday in March of each year, of which a clear twenty-one days’ notice shall be given by the Secretary, to receive an independent examiners report on the accounts, to elect Officers and General Committee as provided in RULE 7 and to transact other business. The Officers and General Committee have power to call a General Meeting at any time, and must do so within twenty-one days on receipt of a requisition signed by thirty Members.

      

6.                  Officers & General Committee. The Officers of the Club shall consist of Chairman, Vice
      Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Officers, and an independent Auditor, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for a two year term of Office. The Chairman and Treasurer will be elected every two years, and in the intervening years, the Vice-Chairman and Secretary will be elected. The Committee shall have the power to appoint a President, who, once appointed, will not normally be required to submit to re-election. The President shall not have a vote at Committee meetings. The Officers shall be Ex-Officio members of the General Committee. The General Committee shall consist of nine Members, the numbers of five and four alternating to retire annually by rotation and such Members shall be eligible for re-election. Officer or Committee vacancies caused by resignation, death or any other causes may be filled by co-opting one or more Members to the General Committee until the next Annual General Meeting. No person shall be eligible to be nominated as a General Committee Member, unless he/she has had current Full Membership of the Club for a period of not less that twelve months during the two years preceding such nomination. No person who has served less that 2 years as a Committee member may be nominated as an Officer.

      
7.                  The General Committee shall have the power to appoint up to THREE Trustees from the Members of the Club. The Trustees shall be members in good standing, of high integrity, honesty and commitment to the ideals of the Club, and preferably with long periods of membership and service to the Club. The function of the Trustees shall be to ensure that the Club’s Rules and Bye-Laws are adhered to by the Committee in a fair and reasonable manner, and may, when asked, assist the Chairman to carry out his duties at Committee meetings. In the event of the resignation of the whole of the Committee (see Rule 11) the Trustees shall assume responsibility for the running of the Club, and shall maintain this responsibility until the new Committee shall assume power. Trustees shall not have a vote at Committee meetings.

      
8.                  Power of General Committee. The General Committee shall control the management of the Club and shall have power to engage or dismiss any servants, make such Bye-Laws as may be necessary (provided that no such Bye-Law is contrary to these RULES) and purchase such articles and do all such things as may be deemed necessary for carrying out the objects of the Club.

      
9.                  Meeting of General Committee. The General Committee shall meet once a month and five members (of whom one shall be the Secretary, another Officer, or a deputised person) shall form a quorum. Any Member of the General Committee after being absent from three consecutive Meetings, whether or not an apology has been offered may, at the discretion of the General Committee, be required to resign as a Member of the General Committee.

      

10.              Resignation of General Committee. In the event of the whole of the General Committee resigning at any time, a Special General Meeting of Members shall be held within fourteen days of such resignation for the election of a new Committee.

      

11.              Guests. A Full Member shall be permitted to introduce two guests provided the visitors and the Member introducing them sign a visitors’ book. A visitor shall only remain in the Club during such time as the introducing Member is present and the introducing Member is responsible for the behaviour of their guests. A visitor may be signed in as a guest up to seven times in a calendar year, after which he/she must apply for Membership. Junior guests (16-18) may be signed in, and there shall be no limit to the number of their attendances. The signing-in fee shall be the same as for adults for normal club nights, and an alternative amount at the discretion of the Committee for entertainment or other occasions.

      

12.              Children on Club Premises. Children under the age of sixteen will not be allowed in the Bar Area, which is defined as the area alongside the bar which is un-carpeted. Children of members aged fourteen to sixteen years, including members of visiting teams, may be allowed into the Snooker room, provided they are under supervision of a responsible adult. All children under the age of sixteen must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for his/her behaviour.

      

13.              Infringement of Rules. Any Member who shall, in the opinion of the General Committee, be guilty of any infringement of the Rules of the Club, or any conduct unworthy of a Member of the Club, may be suspended from Membership for a specified time, or he/she may be expelled from the Club by a Committee Member, followed by a letter of confirmation from the General Committee of the action taken. Such penalties shall include:-

      Warning Letter; Severe Warning Letter;

      Suspension of Membership for a minimum of 12 months from date of offence, following which re-application for membership must be made. Re-admission to the Club shall not be permitted until the application has been approved by the General Committee;

      Lifetime Ban.

      Note: - Any act of a violent nature towards any person on the Club premises or within the Club environs will automatically invoke a ban from the Club for at least 12 months.

      

15.       Property of the Club. All property of the Club shall be vested in the Officers and General
      Committee, representing and acting for the whole of the Members of the Club.

      

16.       Games & Recreations. The General Committee shall determine what Games and Recreations shall be allowed in the Club and under what RULES and conditions they shall be played.

      

17.       Alterations to Rules. Except as provided in RULES 4 and 5, the RULES may be altered only at a General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. A notice that a revision of the RULES is proposed shall be posted on the Club Notice Board for at least fourteen days prior to the Meeting to which the alteration is to be submitted and any alteration shall require a majority of a least two thirds of the Members present at the Meeting. Altered Rules shall take effect from the date of the General Meeting at which they were resolved, excepting that all alterations to rules shall be posted on the Notice Board for a period of 21 days prior to the Meeting to allow for all Club Members the opportunity to peruse the proposed changes. Any changes in Government legislation, such as alteration to rates of VAT, licensing laws, or any laws affecting private Members’ Clubs such as the Hailsham Memorial Institute, shall take effect from the date of enactment by the Government. Such changes shall be ratified at the next available Committee meeting.

      

18.       A copy of these Rules and Bye-Laws shall be exhibited in every Public Room in the Club, and shall be available to every member.

      

      

EXPLANATORY NOTES:

Duties of Officers:

The Chairman shall preside at all General Committee meetings and at the Annual General Meeting, and conduct such meetings fairly and efficiently, and shall also be Ex-Officio chairman at meetings of sub-committees. The Chairman shall be required to prepare an Annual Report for presentation to the Club Members at the Annual General Meeting.

      

The Vice-Chairman shall be prepared to assist the Chairman in any manner requested and shall substitute the post, if necessary up to the end of the elected term, in case of absence, resignation or death.

      

The Secretary shall be responsible for, and the Administrator shall put into action, the following;

(a)    to deal with all correspondence to and from the Club and General Committee

(b)   to cause minutes of all General Committee meetings to be taken, and copies of such minutes, and the agenda for the forthcoming meeting to be sent to all committee members within a reasonable time (14 days).

(c)    to publish approved minutes on the Club Notice Board within 72 hours of their approval.

(d)   to publish notices as required by the General Committee on the Club Notice Board.

(e)    to deal with all Licensing Requirements for the Club.

      

The Treasurer shall be responsible for controlling the financial affairs of the Club, and shall cause all financial records to be properly maintained. All such records shall be submitted to the Auditor shortly after the end of the Club’s Financial Year. Prior to meetings of the General Committee, a brief summary of current financial performance shall be made available for discussion at such meetings.