The Scottish National Flying Club

CONSTITUTION AND RULES

Title

  1. The Club shall be known as the “Scottish National Flying Club”.

Objects

  1. The objects of the Club shall be to organise and carry out the Annual National Race or Races open to members whose lofts are situated in Scotland.

Membership

  1. Ordinary members. At the discretion of the Committee of Management whose decision shall be final, any person may be a member of the Club, who is a member of the Scottish Homing Union. There are two classifications of membership viz individual or partnership. Applications must be made on an Official Application Form, duly signed by the proposers and submitted to the Secretary on or before 1st April each year.

Subscriptions

  1. Each applicant for membership of the Club shall pay an entrance fee of £6. Ordinary members of the Club shall pay, on or before 1st April in any year, including the year of admission, an annual subscription of £45. Any member whose subscription is not paid before 1st April of each year shall pay a £6 penalty fee, in addition to the annual subscription. Year book, race sheets etc. will only be sent out to members that have paid their subscription for that year. The subscription may be varied from time to time by the Club at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee of Management or by resolution submitted by members of the Club in terms of paragraph 8 hereof. Any member wishing to resign from membership of the club, must do so in writing, to the Secretary, prior to the A.G.M. Non members can compete in any old bird inland race and young bird race for £25 payment (per race) to be made prior to race date. Members who are not members of a local Club or Federation, may become affiliated to the Scottish Homing Union and pay their subscription through the medium of the Club.

4a. S.N.F.C to subsidise annual subscription of members over 80 years of age by £35. All members of a partnership must be over 80 years of age

Officials

  1. The Officials of the Club shall be the President and two Vice-Presidents. The Officials shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club and shall retire each year but shall be eligible for re-election. “Secretary/Treasurer will be an appointment with contract of employment approved by management committee, who will review same as required.”

Committee of Management

  1. (i) The management of the Club shall be vested in the Officials and fifteen members of the Club who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, seven of whom shall form a quorum. The Committee of Management shall apply the rules the bye-laws, regulations and conditions as to the management of the Club, its races or anything connected therewith and make recommendations in regard to subscriptions and entrance fee and, in addition, make such recommendations as to alterations in the rules, bye-laws, regulations and conditions. No Federation to have more than two representatives (excluding officials).

(ii) All decisions of the Committee of Management in the execution of their duties shall be binding upon any member of the Club subject to a right of appeal to the Scottish Homing Union whose decision on such appeal shall be final.

(iii) In addition to the foregoing powers and duties, the Committee of Management is hereby empowered to censure, expel or suspend any member who, in their opinion, has violated any of the rules and regulations of the Club or any conditions appertaining to any race organised by the Club or who has been guilty of dishonourable conduct in connection with pigeons, the sport of pigeon racing, exhibitions and generally, and may expel any member whom they may deem to be unsuitable to be a member of the Club. Any member affected by this rule and liable to be dealt with thereunder shall be notified by the Secretary to appear before the Committee of Management and they may attend or submit a written statement in their support. Only after hearing all the evidence shall the Committee of Management give a decision.

(iv) In the event of any bird being credited with a velocity that the Committee of Management consider impossible, they shall have power to disqualify the bird although there may be no evidence to support any fraudulent practice on the part of the competitor or any other person responsible for marking or despatching the bird to the race point.

(v) Members of the Committee of Management shall receive payment from the funds of the Club to meet their expenses in attending meetings of the Committee.

(vi) A Public Relations Officer for the Club shall be appointed by the Committee of Management annually.

(vii) A Race Controller shall be appointed by the Committee of Management annually. If the Race Controller is not a member of the Management Committee the Management Committee have the authority to co-opt him /her onto the Management Committee.

(viii) The Race Convoyer to be an ex-officio member of the Management Committee.

Committee of Management meetings

  1. Meetings of the Committee of Management shall be convened from time to time to deal with business as may be convenient, provided that there shall be at least four meetings in any year.

Meetings

  1. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held on a Saturday or Sunday in January each year for the approval of the Convoyer’s Race Reports, the appointment of office-bearers and the election of the Committee of Management, the consideration of any recommendations by this Committee of Management or any resolutions by members of the Club as to the entrance fee and annual subscription, the rules, regulations and conditions and the races to be organised in the ensuing year. All notices of motions for the AGM to be posted to reach the Secretary by the 1st November each year. A quorum at a meeting of the Club shall be 50.

Venue of Meetings

  1. The Committee of Management will determine the venue for all meetings.

Special meetings

  1. Subject to the provision of paragraph 15 hereof, if the Secretary shall receive a requisition to call a special meeting of the Club, duly signed by at least 10% of the members of the Club, specifying the object of such meeting, such a meeting may be called for the purpose specified in the requisition and it shall be held within twenty-eight days after the requisition is lodged with Secretary. It shall not be competent to transact any business at such meeting other than that specified in the requisition. The Secretary shall call the meeting by advertisement in suitable newspapers likely to be circulated among members. It shall not be competent to call a special meeting under this clause to deal with the conduct of races during a particular year unless the requisition is lodged before 1st January. A quorum of 10% of the members is required at special meetings.

Conduct of Meetings

  1. The President and in his absence a Vice-President shall preside as Chairman at all meetings of the Club or the Committee of Management. In the absence of the President and Vice-President, those present shall elect one of their number to act as Chairman. The Chairman shall have a deliberative and a casting vote.
  2. The declaration of the Chairman that a resolution has or has not been carried shall unless a poll is demanded, be conclusive, but if a poll is demanded, it shall be taken by a show of hands. Any relevant amendment may be proposed without previous notice, but the decision of the Chairman on the relevancy shall be final. Every member of the Club shall have one vote. No voting by proxy shall be allowed.
  3. No minority vote can win in any vote taken.

Finance

  1. (i) At the end of each financial year, the accounts shall be prepared, audited and submitted to the members not later than seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

(ii) One auditor, who shall be a Chartered Accountant, shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting, to hold office until the succeeding Annual General Meeting and he shall be eligible for reappointment. Any casual vacancy in the office of Auditor shall be filled by the Committee of Management.

(iii) The Secretary and Treasurer shall prepare a balance sheet and statement of accounts, for submission to the Annual General Meeting, which he shall furnish at least six weeks before the date fixed for such meeting, and it shall be the duty of the Auditor to examine the correctness thereof and, for this purpose, the Auditor shall have access to all books and papers of the Club and may require from the Committee of Management, the Secretary and Treasurer, or any servant of the Club such information or explanation as he may consider necessary for the due performance of his duties.

(iv) The Auditor shall sign a certificate on the balance sheet stating whether, in his opinion, it exhibits a true and correct statement of the affairs of the Club and the balance sheet, duly certified, shall be signed by the Chairman and Auditor. Copies shall thereafter be circulated in terms of sub-paragraph (i) hereof.

(v) No money can be specially voted from the funds for any purpose whatsoever except prize money when the amount standing at the credit of the Club is less than £1,000.

(vi) The income and all property of the club shall be applied solely towards the object of the Club, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise, howsoever, by way of profit to the members of the Club, provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent the payment in good faith of remuneration to any official or servants of the Club, or any member of the Club in return for services actually rendered to the Club, or prevent the free gift to the members of any publications of the Club

(vii) A banking account shall be kept at such bank as the Committee shall appoint in the name of the Club and all the monies shall on receipt be paid into such bank. Cheques on the said banking account shall be signed by such officials and the Secretary as the Committee shall from time to time prescribe. At no time will the Secretary and Treasurer retain in his hands a sum greater than £100 for more than seven days. All entries and pool entries in each race shall be checked by the bank staff where the club funds are lodged.

Dissolution

  1. If two-thirds of the members present and voting at a meeting convened to discuss the question of dissolution decide to dissolve the Club, the members must give their consent in writing and, thereafter, any assets remaining shall be distributed equally among the members of the Club.

Effect of Withdrawal or Expulsion

  1. For the removal of doubt, it is declared that any member withdrawing from or being expelled from the Club or ceasing to be a member by non-payment of subscription shall forfeit all claims he might have to its property or any part thereof.

Alteration of Constitution

  1. No alteration of the Constitution can be made except at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and then only if by 1st November notice in writing of the proposed alteration has been given to the Secretary and intimation thereof has been given on the agenda calling the meeting. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 15 hereof, no alteration may be made in the Constitution except by a decision of two-thirds of those present and voting at the meeting considering the same.