Membership Rules and the SPOSC Consitution
These Rules have been formulated after much discussion and debate. They have been accepted by general consensus at the Annual General Meeting of the Club in January 1996 ( amended in January 1998 and February 2007 ). All persons undertaking activities which have been organised, approved or sponsored by the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall be bound by them.
The Commodore
February 2007
1. NAME
The section of the Sussex Police Sports Association known as the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall hereinafter be referred to as the ‘Club’.
2. OBJECTS
The objects of the Club shall be to encourage and train members to sail in offshore waters with a view to participation in cruising, racing and social sailing within the calendar of the SPOSC and other like bodies.
3. MANAGEMENT
i. The ‘Officers’ of the ‘Committee’ shall consist of - Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Ass Treasurer. The remainder of the committee will be formed from the elected area ‘Representatives’, of West, Gatwick, H.Q., Central, North, East and Sussex House, making 13 (thirteen) persons in all.
ii. Re-election of the ‘officers’ and ‘Representatives’ shall take place at each Annual General Meeting. If an officer retires or resigns from the Club, a temporary appointment may be made at a Special Committee meeting.
iii. The AGM will held each year, before the end of the financial year and members will be given at least 21 days notice of the date. Only full members may vote at the AGM
iv. The Committee shall meet at least twice a year, one of which shall be after the A.G.M. The other shall be at a time considered to be most appropriate by a general consensus of Committee members.
v. A ‘quorum’ for a meeting shall be five Committee members of which three must be ‘officers’.
4. MEMBERSHIP
i. Full Membership
a) Is open to Sussex Police officers and all employees of the Sussex Police Authority who pay subscriptions to the Sussex Police Sports Association.
b) Is open to Sussex Police officers and all employees of the Sussex Police Authority who on their retirement from the Sussex Police on pension or gratuity and pay subscriptions to the Sussex Police Sports Association
Full members shall normally be the only members entitled to hold office and have voting power.
ii. Associate Membership
At the discretion of the Committee;
a) Associate membership is open to Sussex Police officers and all employees of the Sussex Police Authority who on their retirement from the Sussex Police on pension or gratuity and do not pay a subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association.
b) May be granted to partners and children of full members.
c) May be granted at the discretion of the Committee to former and serving members of the Special Constabulary
iii Honorary Membership
Shall be limited to not more than 5 persons, shall be subject to the approval of the Committee, and shall be granted at each AGM to persons duly proposed, seconded and confirmed by two thirds of the membership present and voting.
A current list of members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
5. AFFILIATION
The Club shall be affiliated to such governing bodies, associations and societies as shall be deemed appropriate by the Committee.
6. GENERAL CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
i Members shall conduct themselves in a proper seamanlike manner at all times
ii If, in the opinion of the Committee, the conduct* of any member is considered to be contrary to the interests of the Club or any such conduct is likely to bring discredit upon the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club and therefore the Sussex Police the Committee may:
a) Caution said member in writing.
b) Suspend any such member for any period they may think appropriate.
c) Strike said person’s name from the Register of Members.
iii Where members are guests of another Yacht Club they shall respect the rules of the said YC or they will automatically fall within the scope of Rule 6(ii) above.
iv When a vessel is under charter to the SPOSC the designated Skipper shall have total responsibility for that vessel and crew. By the same token that ‘skipper’ shall have total authority over the use of that vessel and the crew of said vessel, both on board and ashore, in respect of the safety of the vessel. All members should bear in mind that their conduct reflects on their fellow crewmen, the Club and ultimately the Sussex Police.
* Any member accused of such conduct shall have the opportunity to mitigate his actions at a meeting of the Committee - at which at least three Officers of theCommittee shall attend.
7. PAYMENTS
i There is no subscription to the SPOSC.
ii All payments are made to supplement the charter fee for individual boats. These payments will be made to the skipper in advance and is repayable at he discretion of the skipper.
iii All members to be aware that when chartering a vessel, the crew may be liable to provide a deposit to cover any insurance excess required by the chartering company.
iv Such payments shall be as deemed financially appropriate by the Treasurer.
8. FINANCE
i The Committee shall control the funds of the Club and act as trustees for all its property. The Treasurer of the Club shall hold to the credit of the Club all its monies received and the funds shall be vested in the Club.
ii The Accounts shall be made up at the 31st March each year and kept in accordance with the rules of the parent Association - Sussex Police Sports Association.
iii The final decision as to Club charters rests with the Committee.
9. MINUTES & RECORDS
The Secretary shall keep correct minutes of all meetings which shall be published to the membership.
10. ALTERATION TO RULES
Alteration to an existing Rule shall only be made at the Annual General Meeting, and notice of the proposed alteration shall be given to the Secretary in writing not less than14 days before the meeting.
11. INTERPRETATION
Interpretation of the Rules shall rest only with the Committee.
12. REQUIREMENT FOR BOAT SAFETY
i All seaborne activities subsidised by, or organised in the name of, the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall be at the discretion of the Committee ‘skippered’ by:
a) A member who has, in the past, been authorised as a ‘Club Skipper’ (there will be no further such appointments) who is - by way of experience etc. - acceptable to the company from whom the vessel is chartered.
b) A member who has a Full RYA qualification for Coastal Skipper or above.
c) A Day Skipper who is permitted by a charter company to skipper a boat.
d) A member who owns his boat and although not a holder of a RYA ‘certificate’, has the experience for such an undertaking.
ii All passages carrying members more than twelve miles offshore must be skippered by a member qualified as at Rule 12(i)(a),(b) or (d) above and have a First Mate a second person qualified under Rule 12(1)(a),(b),(c) or (d)
iii All boats chartered or used in the name of the Club shall be sailed in accordance with all the Laws and Rules laid down for the safe passage of vessels upon the seas, channels, waterways and harbours of the U.K. and Europe. All research into such Laws and Rules shall be the responsibility of the Skipper.
iv All skippers undertaking water based activity organised in the name of Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall ensure a passage plan is completed in accordance with MCA rules and complete a risk assessment prior to the activity.
v Members of the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club and their guests and visitors use the boats, moorings and other facilities provided at their own risk and agree to, and accept, the following limitations of liability.
Each member acknowledges that the Committee members and others organising or helping to organise Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club (SPOSC) events do so voluntarily and to that extent permitted by law neither they, nor the SPOSC Committee, nor the SPOSC can in any circumstances be held responsible for any injury, loss or damage to an owner, member, their crew, guests, vessel or equipment whether through negligence or otherwise of any member, organiser, helper or third party. The safety and management of any vessel, its equipment and crew is the responsibility of the skipper. No SPOSC event shall be considered a training event unless it is specifically designated as such. Each skipper in a SPOSC event must assess for themselves whether the event is within their capabilities and whether or not their personal safety or that of their crew could be endangered. By participating in a SPOSC event, each skipper warrants that their vessel and crew are adequate to face the conditions that may arise during the course of the event and that the boat carries appropriate third party insurance. The participation of any other vessel in an event shall not relieve other participants of their responsibilities. Members, their crews and their guests take part in SPOSC events entirely at their own risk and on the understanding that they indemnify the SPOSC, Committee Members and others organising or helping to organise the event for any death, injury, loss or damage to themselves, family, crew, guests or vessel. By inviting crew or guests to participate in an event organised by the club the sponsoring member warrants that their attention has been drawn to these limitations. Participation in any SPOSC activity is always on the basis of the SPOSC Constitution and Rules.
13. NATIONAL POLICE CHAMPIONSHIP RACING
i The ‘Skipper’ of the racing boat shall be chosen by the Committee.
ii The elected ‘skipper’ shall then choose his crew.
iii The organising and application for SPSA grant of the Force (Police Championships) Boat shall be the responsibility of the Skipper of the boat.
14. FLAG OFFICERS
i The Club currently has one Flag Officer - The Commodore.
ii He/she has no voting rights.
iii The office of ‘Commodore’ shall be filled by offering the post to a person decided upon by the Full Committee.