RULES
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, January 2007, January 2010, February 2011, February 2015 and February 2016) 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, & Committee
February 2016
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.
3. MANAGEMENT
i. General Committee: The Club will be managed by a General Committee elected by Members every two years at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will be composed of 6 'Officers', supported with Area Representatives, who all 'report' to the General Committee and have the following roles & responsibilities.
Commodore: Principle Flag Officer and Member of the Committee. Sets the direction for the Club. Can vote on committee matters. Has a casting vote at the Annual General Meeting and Committee Meetings in the event of equal votes for and against a decision,
(In effect the previous Chairperson)
Vice Commodore: Second in Command and Member of the Committee. Deputises for Commodore in their absence. Can vote on committee matters.
(In effect the previous Assistant Chairperson).
Secretary: Member of the Committee. Responsible for all Club records, maintaining all Club legal documentation, Can vote on committee matters.
Assistant Secretary: Member of the Committee. Assistant and deputises for the Secretary in above functions. Can vote on committee matters.
Treasurer: Member of the Committee. Responsible for all Club finances. Can vote on committee matters.
Assistant Treasurer: Member of the Committee. Assistant and deputises for the Treasurer. Can vote on committee matters.
Area Representatives: Members of the Committee. Elected by the Committee. Can vote on committee matters.
In the event of one person holding two or more of the officer posts on the Committee, that person will have one vote not a vote for each post held.
Other Key Roles: (non General Committee)
Web Master*: Responsible for the management and updating of the Club web site.
Training*: Responsible for advising and promoting training within the Club.
Scuttlebutt Editor*: Responsible for the editing and publishing of the Club publication.
*The above 'Key Roles' may be undertaken by a Member of the Committee as an ancillary responsibility, or a non-Committee member.
ii. Election of the ‘Officers’ and ‘Representatives’ of the General Committee shall take place every two years at the Annual General Meeting. If an officer retires or resigns from the Committee between two Annual General Meetings, the committee may co-opt a member to sit as that officer with full voting rights, without the need for an Annual General Meeting, but the post must then be put for election at the first Annual General Meeting following the vacancy arising.
iii. The Annual General Meeting will be held each year, before the end of the financial year and the Secretary will issue a notice to members not less than 45 days prior to the Annual General Meeting, of those Committee Officers standing for re-election, forthcoming vacancies and inviting applications from members for election as a Committee Officer. Nominations should be returned to the Secretary not less than 31 days prior to the Annual General Meeting and these will be circulated by the Secretary together with Notice of Annual General Meeting and Agenda at least 21days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
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 three Committee members.
4. MEMBERSHIP
i Full Membership
a) Is open to Sussex Police officers, staff and all employees of the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner, or
b) Employees of the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner who have retired* from the Sussex Police and who pay subscriptions to Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
c) Full members shall normally be the only members entitled to hold office and have voting rights.
d) A current list of members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
ii. Associate Membership
a) Associate membership may be granted at the discretion of the committee to serving or retired* police officers and staff of other forces, who apply for such, upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
b) May be granted to partners and children** of full or associate members upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
May be granted at the discretion of the Committee to former and serving members of the Special Constabulary upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
Shall be granted to former members of the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club, who continue to provide a service to the club but do not benefit by participating in any subsidised club event and do not pay subscriptions to the Sussex Police Offshore Sports Association.
A current list of associate members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
iii Honorary Membership
a) 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 no less than two thirds of the membership present and voting.
b) A current list of honorary members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
* The term retired shall be taken to mean a person who is in receipt of a pension or gratuity from the relevant Police Authority.
** Child members will be aged eighteen years and above unless in exceptional circumstances which are approved by the committee.
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 the Committee shall attend.
7. PAYMENTS
i There is no subscription to the SPOSC.
ii All Charter payments are made to supplement the charter fee for individual boats. These payments will be made to the Treasurer Account in advance and is repayable at the discretion of the Committee.
iii All members are 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 A skipper arranging a charter must consult with the Treasurer to ensure that the
cost of the potential charter is within the annual budget of SPOSC.
v All members are advised to ensure they have adequate personal insurance when
undertaking a Charter organised by SPOSC.
8. FINANCE
i The amount of the SPOSC Charter contributions will be determined at the annual
AGM.
ii 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.
iii 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 than 14 days before the meeting.
11. INTERPRETATION
Interpretation of the Rules shall rest only with the Committee.
12. REQUIREMENT FOR BOAT SAFETY
i The Committee will authorise and appoint skippers for Club Charters
ii All seaborne activities subsidised by, or organised in the name of the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall, be ‘skippered’ by RYA Qualified and Certificated members.
iii RYA Day Skippers in the Solent will be confined to Day Sailing yachts maximum
length 15m and within 20 miles of the departure port. (RYA & MCA Guidance)
iii RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence Yachtmaster Coastal Skippers are
competent to undertake any Coastal passages within 20 miles of a safe haven.
iv RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence Yachtmaster Offshore Skippers are
competent to undertake any passage during which the yacht is no more than
150 miles from any safe haven.
v All of the above passages will have as a 1st Mate a member who has as a
minimum RYA Day Skipper qualification.
vi Proposed charters by RYA Day Skippers outside iii above will be decided by the
Committee taking into account experience, familiarity of sailing area and
proposed itinerary.
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. A passage plan shall be prepared by the Skipper in accordance with SoLaS Regulations.
iv All skippers undertaking water based activity organised in the name of Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall ensure a Risk Assessment is carried out prior to the activity. The SPOSC Risk Assessment form will be part of the Skippers briefing and must be signed by all crew on the charter prior to departure. The Skipper will return the signed form to the Club Secretary who will retain all signed forms. The Skipper will also endorse the form as to whether any damage/injury was caused to the charter yacht or crew, or any third party person or vessel, in which case a separate report will be submitted to the Committee. The Secretary will bring all such reports to the attention of the Committee.
iv 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.
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, January 2007, January 2010, February 2011, February 2015 and February 2016) 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, & Committee
February 2016
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.
3. MANAGEMENT
i. General Committee: The Club will be managed by a General Committee elected by Members every two years at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will be composed of 6 'Officers', supported with Area Representatives, who all 'report' to the General Committee and have the following roles & responsibilities.
Commodore: Principle Flag Officer and Member of the Committee. Sets the direction for the Club. Can vote on committee matters. Has a casting vote at the Annual General Meeting and Committee Meetings in the event of equal votes for and against a decision,
(In effect the previous Chairperson)
Vice Commodore: Second in Command and Member of the Committee. Deputises for Commodore in their absence. Can vote on committee matters.
(In effect the previous Assistant Chairperson).
Secretary: Member of the Committee. Responsible for all Club records, maintaining all Club legal documentation, Can vote on committee matters.
Assistant Secretary: Member of the Committee. Assistant and deputises for the Secretary in above functions. Can vote on committee matters.
Treasurer: Member of the Committee. Responsible for all Club finances. Can vote on committee matters.
Assistant Treasurer: Member of the Committee. Assistant and deputises for the Treasurer. Can vote on committee matters.
Area Representatives: Members of the Committee. Elected by the Committee. Can vote on committee matters.
In the event of one person holding two or more of the officer posts on the Committee, that person will have one vote not a vote for each post held.
Other Key Roles: (non General Committee)
Web Master*: Responsible for the management and updating of the Club web site.
Training*: Responsible for advising and promoting training within the Club.
Scuttlebutt Editor*: Responsible for the editing and publishing of the Club publication.
*The above 'Key Roles' may be undertaken by a Member of the Committee as an ancillary responsibility, or a non-Committee member.
ii. Election of the ‘Officers’ and ‘Representatives’ of the General Committee shall take place every two years at the Annual General Meeting. If an officer retires or resigns from the Committee between two Annual General Meetings, the committee may co-opt a member to sit as that officer with full voting rights, without the need for an Annual General Meeting, but the post must then be put for election at the first Annual General Meeting following the vacancy arising.
iii. The Annual General Meeting will be held each year, before the end of the financial year and the Secretary will issue a notice to members not less than 45 days prior to the Annual General Meeting, of those Committee Officers standing for re-election, forthcoming vacancies and inviting applications from members for election as a Committee Officer. Nominations should be returned to the Secretary not less than 31 days prior to the Annual General Meeting and these will be circulated by the Secretary together with Notice of Annual General Meeting and Agenda at least 21days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
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 three Committee members.
4. MEMBERSHIP
i Full Membership
a) Is open to Sussex Police officers, staff and all employees of the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner, or
b) Employees of the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner who have retired* from the Sussex Police and who pay subscriptions to Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
c) Full members shall normally be the only members entitled to hold office and have voting rights.
d) A current list of members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
ii. Associate Membership
a) Associate membership may be granted at the discretion of the committee to serving or retired* police officers and staff of other forces, who apply for such, upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
b) May be granted to partners and children** of full or associate members upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
May be granted at the discretion of the Committee to former and serving members of the Special Constabulary upon payment of the due subscription to the Sussex Police Sports Association or Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club.
Shall be granted to former members of the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club, who continue to provide a service to the club but do not benefit by participating in any subsidised club event and do not pay subscriptions to the Sussex Police Offshore Sports Association.
A current list of associate members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
iii Honorary Membership
a) 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 no less than two thirds of the membership present and voting.
b) A current list of honorary members shall be kept by the Assistant Secretary.
* The term retired shall be taken to mean a person who is in receipt of a pension or gratuity from the relevant Police Authority.
** Child members will be aged eighteen years and above unless in exceptional circumstances which are approved by the committee.
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 the Committee shall attend.
7. PAYMENTS
i There is no subscription to the SPOSC.
ii All Charter payments are made to supplement the charter fee for individual boats. These payments will be made to the Treasurer Account in advance and is repayable at the discretion of the Committee.
iii All members are 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 A skipper arranging a charter must consult with the Treasurer to ensure that the
cost of the potential charter is within the annual budget of SPOSC.
v All members are advised to ensure they have adequate personal insurance when
undertaking a Charter organised by SPOSC.
8. FINANCE
i The amount of the SPOSC Charter contributions will be determined at the annual
AGM.
ii 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.
iii 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 than 14 days before the meeting.
11. INTERPRETATION
Interpretation of the Rules shall rest only with the Committee.
12. REQUIREMENT FOR BOAT SAFETY
i The Committee will authorise and appoint skippers for Club Charters
ii All seaborne activities subsidised by, or organised in the name of the Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall, be ‘skippered’ by RYA Qualified and Certificated members.
iii RYA Day Skippers in the Solent will be confined to Day Sailing yachts maximum
length 15m and within 20 miles of the departure port. (RYA & MCA Guidance)
iii RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence Yachtmaster Coastal Skippers are
competent to undertake any Coastal passages within 20 miles of a safe haven.
iv RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence Yachtmaster Offshore Skippers are
competent to undertake any passage during which the yacht is no more than
150 miles from any safe haven.
v All of the above passages will have as a 1st Mate a member who has as a
minimum RYA Day Skipper qualification.
vi Proposed charters by RYA Day Skippers outside iii above will be decided by the
Committee taking into account experience, familiarity of sailing area and
proposed itinerary.
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. A passage plan shall be prepared by the Skipper in accordance with SoLaS Regulations.
iv All skippers undertaking water based activity organised in the name of Sussex Police Offshore Sailing Club shall ensure a Risk Assessment is carried out prior to the activity. The SPOSC Risk Assessment form will be part of the Skippers briefing and must be signed by all crew on the charter prior to departure. The Skipper will return the signed form to the Club Secretary who will retain all signed forms. The Skipper will also endorse the form as to whether any damage/injury was caused to the charter yacht or crew, or any third party person or vessel, in which case a separate report will be submitted to the Committee. The Secretary will bring all such reports to the attention of the Committee.
iv 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.
SPOSC Rules...... February.......pdf copy |