Branch Constitution

The Branch shall be known as the BRITISH SUB AQUA CLUB. BURNTWOOD BRANCH.

The Headquarters of the Branch shall be at the Burntwood Leisure Centre, or at such place as may at any time be decided by the Committee.

The management of the Branch shall be vested in the Committee, which shall consist of four Officers, i.e. the Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer and Diving Officer, and not less than four members. The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Chairman shall be elected from the retiring Committee.

The Annual General Meeting may appoint a President for the ensuing year, and he shall be, ipso facto, a non-voting member of the Committee.

The Committee shall meet when required. The Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary is empowered to call a special Committee Meeting of all members available, any decision of which must be ratified at the next meeting.

A majority of the Committee shall form a quorum; one of whom must be the Chairman, the Treasurer or the Secretary. The Chairman of the meeting shall not normally vote, except when it is necessary to exercise his casting vote.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to four non-voting members, and the Committee shall have the power to make an appointment to fill any vacancy among the Officer of the Branch.

The Branch year shall run from 1st September to 31st August.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in October of each year. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all paid-up members six weeks before the meeting. This notification is to include any motions proposed by the Committee, a reminder that any member may propose an amendment to these motions and that he may make any further motions for consideration at the meeting. Any such amendment or motion must be proposed and seconded and delivered to the Secretary fourteen days before the meeting.

This notification is also to contain the names of those Officers and Members of the present Committee willing to stand again, and a request for any other nominations for the Committee. All nominations must be delivered to the Secretary fourteen days before the meeting, proposed and seconded and signed by the nominee that they are willing to accept the position if elected.

A quorum at all General Meetings shall be 10% of the members entitled to vote. Associate members shall be entitled to vote.

Voting on such matters as the Committee considers may affect the objects or rules of the Branch may be by postal ballot; any such motion shall be passed only by a 3-1 majority of votes cast by not less than 10% of the members of the Branch who are entitled to vote. Otherwise, the method of voting shall be by ballot or show of hands.

Any General Meeting other than the Annual General Meeting shall be known as a Special General Meeting and must be on the receipt of a request to do so signed by at least four paid-up members and giving the reason therefore, within two months thereof be convened by the Committee on giving fourteen days notice to all paid-up members.

The Committee shall have the power to call a Special General Meeting.

The business of a Special General Meeting shall be that for which it was called and no other.

When a member damages or loses equipment, except weight belts jettisoned, or life-jacket cartridges fired in an emergency, the Committee reserves the right to charge that member the cost of replacing or repairing the article. Private equipment used on Branch dives shall be treated in the same way as Branch equipment in the previous sentence.

In order to ensure the safety and good name of the Branch and its members, the Branch Official in charge of a Branch activity may suspend, at his discretion and for the duration of the activity, any member who commits a misconduct. Any such suspension must be reported to the Chairman and Secretary as soon as possible and must be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee. The suspended member shall have the right to be present at any meeting at which his suspension is discussed in order to hear the reasons for the suspension and to address the Committee in answer to such reasons.

The Committee may by a two-thirds majority of all Members thereof suspend or request the resignation of any Officer or Member of the Committee or of the Branch; failing compliance within seven days of any such request, such Officer or Member shall be deemed to have been suspended ; provided that, before requiring the suspension or resignation, the Committee shall give such Officer or Member the opportunity of appearing before the Committee, of hearing the reasons for such proposed suspension or request to resign, and addressing the Committee in answer to such reasons and provided further that the Officer or Member shall have right of appeal to the General Committee of the Club.

The Branch activities shall be open to members of other Branches at the discretion of the Dive Officer.

All new members must be able to swim 200m and will be tested by the Diving Officer on the first training session. The application for membership will then pass through Committee for acceptance by a simple majority vote.

No member of the Club or visitor may use any equipment other than basic equipment in the training pool without the permission of the Official in Charge of the session.

To prevent damage to training pool, all aqualungs must be fitted with rubber boot.

Branch members, visitors from other Branches or guests are, on arrival, to inform the Official in charge of the pool if they wish to enter the pool for the purpose of training with, or testing, an aqualung. Subject to the provisions of Rule 16, any Branch Member may use the training pool for training, testing, swimming with basic equipment and, when authorised, free swimming. Instruction may be given between Burntwood Branch Members other than by the accredited Training Staff, provided that tuition is given by an Instructor/Assistant instructor or the Diving Officer.

The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account of all money received or paid on behalf of the Branch, and shall effect in the name of the Branch and keep records of all investments by the Committee. They shall arrange for all such money and securities to be deposited at such branch of such bank as the Committee may direct to the credit of an account in the name of the Branch, on which cheques and other orders shall be signed by not less than two of the following officers: the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Diving Officer.

They shall be responsible for the calling-in and collection of all debts, subscriptions, and for the due discharge of all liabilities of the Branch out of Branch funds as the Committee may direct.

They shall prepare a statement of income and expenditure and a balance sheet to the 31st August of each year which shall be audited by one of the other Officials and presented to the Annual General Meeting, and he may be assisted in his work by such person or persons as the Committee may approve.

The Committee shall arrange for informal quarterly meetings of the Branch and notices shall be posted on the Branch notice board at the training pool not less than four weeks before the date of such a meeting.

Branch Constitution (Last updated 26/06/2006)