1.
The Club is called Tonbridge Radio Flyers. (TRF)
2.
The objects of the Club are the promotion and encouragement of building and
flying radio-controlled model aircraft.
3.
The Club shall be a non-profit making association and may make no distributions
of any surplus of income over expenditure among its members as bonus, dividend
or profit and shall devote any such surplus to financing activities arising
from the Club’s objects.
4.
The Club shall have four classes of membership:
Full
Senior, Full Junior, Senior silent flight, Junior silent flight.
Full
Junior and Junior silent flight members are members under the age of eighteen.
Full Senior and Full Junior members are permitted to fly at all Club sites.
Senior silent flight and Junior silent flight members are restricted to flying
only at the Club’s silent flight site.
5.
All members must be a member of the British Model Flying Association (BMFA)
6.
The Committee has the right to refuse membership to new applicants.
7.
New members will be required to serve an initial probationary period of 6
months. During this time they will not be eligible to serve on the Committee
and may have their membership terminated at the discretion of the Committee for
unsatisfactory conduct.
8.
Upon payment of the joining fee and first subscription the new member agrees to
be bound by the Club‘s Constitution and rules.
9.
Priority will be given to applicants residing permanently within ten-mile
radius of Tonbridge castle.
10.
The Committee can nominate a member for Special Lifetime Membership for
exceptional service to the Club which has to be confirmed by a vote at a AGM.
This Membership is exempt from Club membership subscription.
11.
Membership of the Club may be terminated by written notice to the secretary by
the member of their decision to leave.
12.
The Committee shall have the power of removal from the role of member any
member whose conduct on the field or elsewhere is considered to be prejudicial
to the Club. Dismissal will be in accordance with the following procedure :
a.
The member is given a verbal warning by an authorised Committee member in which the member is made aware of
his misdemeanour and what he is reasonably required to do to make amends.
b. If
the member does not respond, he is to be given a written warning by an
authorised Committee member to advise him of his misdemeanour and what he is
reasonably required to do to make amends.
c.
If he still fails to respond, the Committee should invite him in writing to
meet with them at a previously agreed date and time to discuss the situation,
advising they are considering withdrawal of his membership.
d.
If he still fails to respond to reason or fails to attend without reasonable
cause, the Committee can advise him in writing that his membership is
withdrawn, stating the reasons why this decision was reached.
e.
When the member is advised of withdrawal of his membership, he must be given
the right of appeal. If he opts to appeal, this will be to the Club membership
at an EGM which the Committee would call on his behalf at a previously agreed
date and time. The motion to uphold the membership withdrawal or reverse it
must be in accordance with the voting procedures set out in the Club
Constitution.
f.
In the event of gross misconduct, immediate dismissal without warnings may be
considered but the member must still be accorded his rights to present his case
to the Committee and given a right of appeal in accordance with sub-paragraphs
c, d and e above.
g.
In event of dismissal the Committee will arrange for the member’s current
membership fee to be reimbursed in full.
13.
A membership subscription shall be payable by each member and the amount of the
subscription shall be decided by vote at a general meeting of the club.
14.
Each person shall become liable for annual payment of the subscription upon
acceptance as a member of the Club and shall cease only upon formal termination
of his membership, as provided in the constitution.
15.
Subscriptions are due by 1st January each year. Any member who has not paid the
subscriptions for the ensuing year by this date will not be allowed to fly
until they have done so. BMFA membership must be in place before flying
16.
If any member fails to pay his annual subscription on or before the 31st January
the Committee shall declare his membership terminated.
17.
Notice of default may be given to the member after this date but the Club shall
not be obliged to do so.
18.
The affairs of the Club shall be administered by a Committee consisting of the
five officers of the Club.
All
the Committee members shall be elected by vote at the annual general meeting of
the Club and shall retire automatically at the following annual general
meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.
19.
Although the Committee are exempt from paying Club membership subscription,
this in no way implies that they are employed by the Club and they are not able
to claim payment for any time spent on Club duties. The only payment to Committee
members will be for actual financial expenses incurred over the course of the
year for which a full account and receipts must be submitted to the Treasurer
at least two weeks before the AGM.
20.
The Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the policies and actions
decided at general meetings, but may make and implement decisions in matters
not so determined, provided that such decisions do not nullify or contravene
any such policies and actions.
21.
The Committee may co-opt members of the Club to serve on the Committee or to
form a sub-committee:
a.
To fill a vacancy among its members occurring between annual general meetings.
b.
To carry out special duties or relieve excessive work by any Committee members.
The
co-opted member shall not be entitled to vote on the Committee
22.
The officers of the Club shall be Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Secretary
(silent flight section) and Safety Officer.
23.
The duties of the officers of the Club are:
a.
To preside at general and committee meetings and conduct them in a orderly
manner.
b.
To ensure that the affairs of the Club are conducted within the terms of the
constitution.
c.
To be the final authority on the interpretation of the terms of the
constitution.
Secretary
a.
To keep minutes of meetings
b.
To keep up-to-date a list of names and addresses of all members.
c.
To send out notices of meetings as prescribed in the constitution.
d.
To keep safely documents and properties of the club entrusted to him for that
purpose.
e.
To be responsible for controlling the content accuracy and currency of the
information
placed
on the Club website.
a.
To deposit in a bank account in the name of the club all monies and other
securities and negotiable instruments entrusted to him by the club.
b.
To keep proper books of account which reveal the details of all income and
expenditure.
c.
To submit a report on the finances of the club at each committee meeting, made
up to end of the month preceding such meeting.
d.
To submit to the Annual General Meeting of the club a full audited Income and
Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for the year preceding such meeting, and
a budget for estimated financial needs of the succeeding year.
Secretary (silent flight section)
a.
Organising and supervising competitions held at Leigh Park Farm.
b.
Recording all competition results from internal and external competitions then
update league tables after each competition and making these available to
silent flight members.
c.
Liaison with Colin Bastable at Leigh Park Farm as necessary regarding rent and
competitions.
a.
To ensure that the club has appropriate rules to ensure that it operates in
accordance with British Model Flying Association (BMFA) safety Guidelines and
Codes and the requirements of Articles 63and 64 of the Air Navigation Order as
laid out in the BMFA hand book.
b.
Together with the other members of the Committee, Club examiners and
instructors, who will act as Assistant Safety Officers and report to designated
Safety Officer as required, to ensure that flying is carried out in accordance
with the Clubs rules.
c.
To give advice to the Committee on safety related issues.
d.
To be responsible for keeping records of sound level meter readings.
24.
Nominations for Officers and Committee members for the ensuing year shall be
submitted, in writing and signed by the nominator, to the Secretary not later
than twenty-one days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
25.
In the event of no prior nominations being made for any Officer or vacancy on
the committee, nominations made at the meeting to elect such Officers and
Committee members shall be valid.
26.
In the event of a person who was co-opted on to the Committee being submitted
for formal election between Annual General Meetings, a majority vote by postal
ballot shall be valid appointment to Committee membership.
27.
The nominators shall be responsible for determining that the nominee is willing
to act in the capacity proposed.
28.
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall take place each year not earlier
than 11 months and not later than 13 months from the previous Annual General
Meeting. The Secretary shall circularise all members with the Agenda, time,
date and place of the Meeting not less than fourteen days prior to the Meeting.
29.
Extraordinary General Meetings of the Club may be called either by the
Committee or by request of not less than 20% (twenty per cent) of the voting
members of the Club. The Secretary shall circularise all members with the
Agenda, time, date and place of any such Meeting within fourteen days of
receipt of such request and not later than fourteen days prior to the date of
the Meeting.
30.
Auditors for the ensuing year shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting
to audit the financial accounts.
33.
The quora for General Meeting shall be (except as otherwise provided herein):-
At
an Annual General Meeting not less than one quarter of the current voting
membership; and
At
Extraordinary General Meetings, not less than one quarter of the current voting
membership, provided that, where a member not present at a General Meeting has
written to the Secretary prior to the Meeting giving his vote on an item on the
Agenda, he shall count as present for that item and the Meeting may proceed
validly on any items for which a quorum is so completed.
34.
A voting member shall be a Member of the Club who has, at the date of the
Meeting, paid all subscriptions and dues for which he is liable.
35.
Failure to qualify as a voting member shall not in itself debar a member from
attending General Meetings, nor from participating in debates on motions, but
shall debar him from voting.
36.
All proposals must be seconded and voted on.
37.
Voting may be by a show of hands or by ballot.
38.
Each voting member may exercise one valid vote on each motion.
39.
No person shall vote on behalf of a voting member except for the Club secretary
who may present a signed proxy vote on behalf of an absent member.
40.
The Chairman shall count votes and declare a motion carried or rejected
according to the majority vote. He may appoint at least two scrutineers to
count votes.
41.
The Property and Funds of the Club shall be vested in the Committee for the
time being.
42.
The Funds of the Club shall be deposited in a Bank in the Club’s name and
cheques and negotiable instruments shall be signed on behalf of the Club by
either of the two Officers of the Club named on the Banker’s Mandate.
43.
All other legal documents shall be signed on behalf of the Club by any two
Officers of the Club.
44.
In the event of the dissolution of the Club, all assets of the Club of whatever
form may be disposed of by the Committee. After paying all outstanding debts,
any surplus shall be donated to a Corporate body with similar objects.
45.
Dissolution of the Club shall be decided only by a two thirds majority of the
voting members of the Club present at a Meeting convened specifically for the
purpose.
46.
Valid postal votes shall be counted.
47.
Notice of the proposal to dissolve the Club shall be sent to each member of the
Club by post three weeks prior to the date of the Meeting addressed to the last
address notified to the Secretary. Upon passing of the resolution, all assets
of the Club shall be surrendered to the Committee for the time being for
disposal in accordance with the provisions in the Constitution.
48.
Amendment, repeal or addition to the Rules contained in this Constitution shall
be by resolution passed at Meetings convened specifically for the purpose or at
Annual General Meetings and by agreement of not less than two-thirds of the
voting members present. Valid postal votes shall be counted.
49.
Details of proposed alteration shall be published to each member with the
Notice of the Meeting at least fourteen days prior to the Meeting.
51.
No member may commit the Club to any financial obligation without written
authority from the Committee, signed in accordance with the provisions of this
Constitution. Any such unauthorized commitments made shall be the personal
liability of the member who made it and no claim upon the Club in respect of
such a commitment shall be accepted.
1.Only
Class 1 flyers will be permitted to fly without supervision (i.e. with no class
I flyer on the field, no flying will take place). The membership card will show
the flyer's status (Class 1 (P or G) or Provisional). The test that you are
required to pass in order to gain a Class 1 status is shown later.
2.Any
Member whose flying standards drop below the minimum requirement solo standard
will be required to rejoin the training scheme until the desired standards of
flying are met.
3.The
Committee and Instructors, will be responsible for running the flying field. If
none are present then the first Class 1 flyer to arrive will take charge and
must pass on the responsibility to another class 1 flyer when he leaves if no
Committee member or Instructor has arrived.
4.All
flyers should own a frequency board with their name and transmitter (Tx)
frequency showing. The first flyer to arrive will set up a control compound.
At
the Tonbridge power site all flyers should place their transmitters and Boards
in the compound when they arrive, displayed in a line of ascending order of Tx
frequency with the board under the Tx. When the member intends to fly, the
board must be displayed in the upright position and then the Tx may be removed
for use, PROVIDED that no other Tx, on the same frequency is in use. After
flight is over, replace the Tx in the compound with the board again under the
Tx, thereby showing that the frequency is free, ( see Leigh Park Farm rules for
special arrangements there for setting up the TX compound and for Tx usage).
5.Flyers
will ensure that they have a pennant on their Tx aerial showing clearly the
frequency they are using.
6.All
members should comply with the BMFA guidelines and safety codes, as detailed in
the BMFA handbook and the relevant flying site rulebook. Any persistently
dangerous flying may render the flyer to a severe reprimand, or even expulsion
from the club.
7.All
models must be under control, I.e. Radio Control, Control Line, etc.
8.A
parent or a responsible adult chosen by the parent to be present when children
and/or junior members are present at the flying sites.
9.No
litter will be left at any club flying site.
10.No
pets will be allowed at any club flying site. Members of the public and
visitors must be asked to keep dogs on leads.