CLUB RULES As at 11 April 2019
1 AIMS and OBJECTIVES
1.1 The name of the club is The Aviation Club of the UK (the “Club“).
1.2 The Club exists to provide a forum for discussions on and to promote the interests of all aspects of civil aviation.
2 MEMBERSHIP
2.1 The membership will comprise those having, or having had, a professional interest in the advancement and development of the civil aviation industry.
2.2 The committee of the Club (the “Committee” as further defined in Rule 3) shall be empowered to limit the number of members.
2.3 Applications for membership are subject to approval by the Committee.
2.4 Subscriptions will be determined by the Committee and will be calculated on an annual basis. Renewals become due at the end of each rolling twelve-month period and any memberships not renewed within 28 days of the renewal date will lapse. The Committee may offer a reduced subscription price, at a rate to be determined from time to time, to members who have retired (ie work less than two days per month) and any other groups as deemed appropriate, in the aviation sector.
2.5 A new member joining the Club at any time in the year will pay the full annual subscription fee at the time of joining, and the membership will become due for renewal 12 months later. Only 12 month subscriptions are available.
2.6 The Committee may confer Honorary Memberships.
3 THE COMMITTEE
3.1 The policy and management of the Club shall be determined by and be the responsibility of the Committee.
3.2 The Committee shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the Club and shall report the status of the Club’s finances at the annual general meeting (the “AGM“).
3.3 The Committee shall not exceed 16 members including the Chairperson, the ex-officio Past Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson, elected members and co-opted members (together the “Committee Members“). Ordinarily the Committee will comprise no more than 14 elected members (including the Chairperson and the Past Chairperson) leaving a maximum of 2 vacant places for any members co-opted to the Committee between AGMs. A person co-opted to the Committee must offer himself or herself for election as an ordinary elected member of the Committee no later than the next AGM after being co-opted. If the total number of Committee Members seeking re-election (including any co-opted members seeking formal election) would result in the normal limit of 14 elected members being exceeded, the Committee may approve an increase in the size of the Committee subject to there being no more than 16 Committee Members in total.
3.4 A chair of the Club (the “Chairperson“) will be elected by the Committee Members from their number. The Chairperson will serve for a term of three years, regardless of the number of years he or she has served on the Committee as long as that does not exceed six years at the time of his or her election as Chairperson. A retiring Chairperson will continue to serve ex officio on the Committee as Immediate Past Chairperson during the period of office of his or her successor as Chairperson.
3.5 The Committee will elect from their number a Vice Chairperson, who will deputise for the Chairperson as required. The Vice Chairperson will be elected at the first committee meeting following the AGM at which a new Chairperson has been installed, or at which the incumbent Vice Chairperson has retired by rotation. The Vice Chairperson will be selected from the Committee Members with the longest-remaining terms before they themselves are due to retire. The maximum single term of office for a Vice Chairperson will be three years, and appointment to the Vice Chairpersonship does not over-ride the elected term limits.
3.6 The Committee may elect from among their number such officers of the Club as may be required.
3.7 Each Committee Member shall be elected for a term of three years and may serve a maximum of two successive three year terms prior to stepping down from the Committee.
3.8 Elected Committee Members must stand down and/or offer themselves for re-election at the AGM falling during their third (3rd) year following their election as a Committee Member. If any Committee Member steps down prior to the AGM falling in their third (3rd) year following their most recent election as a Committee Member they will be replaced at the AGM immediately following the year in which they ceased to be a Committee Member. If the number of Committee Members stepping down prior to the AGM results in the Committee numbering less than 12 in total the Chairperson may co-opt members to the Committee and the terms of Rule 3.3 will apply to such appointment.
3.9 Former Committee Members may present themselves for election to the Committee with effect from the AGM falling not less than one year from the date they ceased to be a Committee Member.
3.10 A Committee Member should attend a minimum of 50% of all Committee meetings called during any calendar year.
3.11 The Committee shall have a quorum of not less than 50% of current Committee Members.
3.12 The Committee shall be empowered to seek such funding as from time to time shall be deemed necessary, for the satisfactory running of the Club, and may offer to co-opt onto the Committee (subject to the overall limitation on Committee Members set out in Rule 3.2) a representative of any company providing such financial support to the Club.
3.13 The Committee shall have discretion to contract secretariat and other services.
4 ELECTION of COMMITTEE MEMBER
4.1 Nominations for election to the Committee shall be requested from the membership at least 42 days before the date of the AGM and submitted to the secretariat no later than 28 days before the AGM.
4.2.1 All nominees for election to the Committee must be proposed and seconded by members of the Club.
4.2.2 All nominees for election to the Committee shall (i) have been members of the Club for a minimum period of one year, other than where such member has been co-opted on to the committee under the terms of Rule 3.3, and (ii) be financially current with Club members payments at the time of nomination and of election.
4.3 The Committee shall be elected by either a postal or an online ballot (but not both) as shall be determined by the Committee, taking place before each AGM among all current full members.
4.4 The secretariat will be responsible for producing a ballot form, either hard-copy or electronic as appropriate, listing the members nominated and agreeing to stand for election as Committee Members.
4.5 The ballot paper shall be circulated by the chosen method to all eligible members at least 21 days before the AGM.
4.5.1 In the case of electronic voting, every member eligible to vote will be allocated a unique confidential password and identifier which can be used only by that member and only once in any election.
4.5.2 An electronic ballot form will be deemed to have been delivered to a member if it has been sent to the last known email address of that member, and will be deemed to have been received by the Club if it has been sent to the email address of the secretariat.
4.6 Members may vote for as many candidates as there may be declared vacancies, and must return their ballot papers or electronic votes to the secretariat no later than 24 hours before the start of the AGM.
4.7 The votes will be counted in confidence during the AGM by at least two scrutineers who are not members of the Committee or members standing for election. As the final part of the AGM, the outgoing Chairperson will announce the names of the highest scoring members, who will be Committee Members with immediate effect.
4.8 If fewer than 20% of the members eligible to do so cast valid votes in any election, the result of the election as determined by those valid votes will be placed before the members present at the AGM for ratification en-bloc. If fewer than 10% of the members eligible to do so cast valid votes in any election, the Committee members shall be decided by attending members voting at the AGM.
4.9 The Committee (including newly elected members) and the Chairperson (if a change in Chairperson has taken place), will take responsibility as from the formal closure of the AGM.
5 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
5.1 The AGM will be held no later than 30 April in the year immediately succeeding the expiry of the financial year. The financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
5.2 Notice of the AGM must be circulated to all members no later than 42 days before the date of the meeting.
5.3 All proposals for discussion at the AGM must be submitted to the secretariat in writing no later than 28 days before the date of the AGM
5.4 Each proposal must have a proposer and a seconder who are members of the Club.
5.5 The agenda for the AGM must be circulated to all members no later than 14 days before the date of the AGM.
5.6 All voting for or against proposals at the AGM will be decided on a show of hands. Alternatively, the Committee may determine that voting on a proposal for the AGM may be conducted electronically. The Chairperson will have the casting vote should a proposal receive an equal number of “for” and “against” votes.
5.6.1 In the case of electronic voting, every member eligible to vote will be allocated a unique confidential password and identifier which can be used only by that member and only once in any voting period.
5.6.2 An electronic ballot form will be deemed to have been delivered to a member if it has been sent to the last known email address of that member, and will be deemed to have been received by the Club if it has been sent to the email address of the Secretariat.
6 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
6.1 A member may at any time, provided that he has the backing in writing individually from 25% of the members of the Club, call for an extraordinary general meeting (“EGM“) of the club.
6.2 The Committee may, on a resolution backed by an absolute majority of those entitled to vote on such a resolution, call for an EGM of the Club.
6.3 Notice of a validly called EGM, together with the full wording of such proposals as are to be considered at that EGM, must be circulated to all members no later than 30 days before the date of that EGM.
6.4 All voting for or against proposals at the EGM will be decided on a show of hands. Alternatively, the Committee may determine that voting on a proposal for the EGM may be conducted electronically. The Chairperson will have the casting vote should a proposal receive an equal number of ‘for’ and ‘against’ votes.
6.4.1 In the case of electronic voting, every member eligible to vote will be allocated a unique confidential password and identifier which can be used only by that member and only once in any voting period.
6.4.2 An electronic ballot form will be deemed to have been delivered to a member if it has been sent to the last known email address of that member, and will be deemed to have been received by the Club if it has been sent to the email address of the secretariat.
7 EVENTS
7.1 The Committee shall organise a programme of events in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Club.
7.2.1 An annual programme will normally include eight events. The Committee may agree additional activities as part of its programme to attract young members.
7.2.2 The Committee may decide from time to time to organise other social or business events.
7.3 All reservations for Club functions must be accompanied by the full remittance. No tickets will be issued without full payment being received.
7.4 Members shall have the opportunity to invite guests to the Club functions. The number of guests at any function may be subject to limits at the discretion of the Committee.
7.5 All guests must be accompanied by a member.
7.6 Members will be allowed to pay for entire tables at Club functions subject to any limits laid down by the Committee.
7.7 Lunch meetings will normally be expected to end at 14.30 hrs.
8 OTHER MATTERS
8.1 The Committee may, at their discretion, amend, alter, add to or rescind any of the rules of the Club as may be seen by them to be in the best interests of the Club subject to approval at an AGM.
8.2 The Committee shall be empowered to wind up the affairs of the Club at such time as may be necessary, and to dispose of any monies left in any accounts. This shall be ratified at any EGM.
