Bye-Laws of the CITY LIVERY YACHT CLUB LIMITED

Bye Laws of the City Livery Yacht Club Ltd

  1. THE NAME

The name of the club shall be the City Livery Yacht Club Ltd which shall hereinafter be referred to as the Club.

  1. OBJECTS

The objects of the Club shall be to promote interest in yachting by means of discussions, lectures, cruising and racing and to further closer association between those members of City Livery Companies who are interested in the sea and ships and to foster and encourage the sport of sailing.

  1. DIRECTORS

The Directors of the Club shall be as defined in the Articles of Association.

  1. OFFICERS

The Officers of the Club for the time being shall consist of the Admiral, Commodore, up to two Vice Commodores and up to three Rear Commodores. The Admiral, Commodore, Vice Commodores and Rear Commodores shall be called Flag Officers. At the discretion of the Committee, the Treasurer would normally be elected a Rear or Vice Commodore.

The Admiral shall be elected to serve for a period of three years after which s/he shall be eligible for re-election. The Commodore shall be elected for one year and may be re-elected for a further one year period.

  1. COMMITTEE

The Directors shall allocate responsibility and delegate appropriate authority to the Committee for the operational management of the Club, in order to achieve the Objectives set out in the Articles of Association, develop any Policies and Procedures necessary for the good management of the Club, propose any amendments and deliver such other tasks as the Directors may from time to time decide.

The Committee shall be accountable to the Directors for its actions and decisions. The Directors shall have the right to veto any decision which they believe is not in the interests of the Club or which contravenes any relevant legislation.

The Committee shall meet as required to conduct the business of the Club, but there shall be at least four (4) such meetings in any one calendar year.

Attendance at such meetings shall normally be in person. Attendance by Zoom (or similar) shall be possible but only twice in any one calendar year, unless such attendance is because of illness, or the Member is away from home or beyond the seas. The acceptance of any other reason for attendance by way of Zoom (or similar) shall be at the sole discretion of the Chairman of the Committee, but such acceptance will not usually be given.

An extraordinary meeting of the Committee or of the whole Membership may be called upon 21 calendar days notice by any two (2) members of the Committee whether elected or ex-officio.

The Committee shall consist of the Flag Officers and not more than ten elected members. Past Admirals and past Commodores shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Committee. Any five voting members of the Committee shall form a quorum.

The Flag Officers and the Committee shall be elected at the AGM of the Club and shall hold office until the next AGM. The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy occurring during this period, to appoint such committees and to create and fill any special post or office which it shall deem to be necessary. Such appointments shall be subject to confirmation at the next Annual General Meeting.

The Commodore shall Chair the Committee and in his/her absence one of the Vice Commodores in order of seniority and, in the absence of both, one of the Rear Commodores in order of seniority, only in the absence of a Flag Officer, the Committee has the power to elect a Chair for any meeting.

The Club Secretary shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee. The Club Secretary’s role is to manage effectively the administration of the Club’s affairs and to give advice, guidance and support to the Directors and Committee.  The aim is that the Club Secretary ensures consistency and continuity in the management of the Club’s affairs. The Club Secretary shall be entitled to receive notice of Committee meetings and to attend and to speak but not to vote on any issue raised.

  1. ENSIGN; BURGEE; DRESS CODE

The defaced blue Ensign, the Burgee, Cap Badge, Buttons, Tie Pins and Tie and any other distinctive article of dress shall be approved by the Committee.

The Ensign shall be as granted by the Ministry of Defence, being defaced with the badge of the City Livery Yacht Club. The defaced Blue Ensign may only be worn in strict compliance with the regulations as laid down by the Ministry of Defence.

Yacht dress will be dark blue reefer with the Club tie for men and comparably smart dress for women. Mess Dress will be as currently described and approved by the Committee.

The Admiral shall fly a square flag with an A in the lower left canton, the other Flag Officers a broad pennant with a swallowtail, that of the Commodore being plain. Those of the Vice Commodore and Rear Commodores, having in addition respectively one and two red balls in the lower left canton. In the case of Past Commodores there shall be a red cross in the lower left canton.

  1. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to Liverymen of City Livery Companies and Members of the Guild of Freemen. Membership shall also be available to persons who have been granted the Freedom of a Livery Company, or of a City of London Guild or Company without Livery. The Committee shall have the power to elect any eminent person as an Honorary Member.

  1. COMPANION MEMBERSHIP

Widows, widowers or partners of deceased former Members may apply for companionship status on payment of 50% of the annual subscription. Companions shall have no voting rights.

In exceptional circumstances the Committee, in its sole discretion, may invite and appoint the former spouse/partner of a member who made a major contribution to the Club, as an ‘Honorary Companion Member’ exempting them from payment of the annual subscription fee.

  1. SUBSCRIPTION

The annual subscription shall be such sum as the Directors may from time to time determine and shall become due in advance of the date of election and on the 1st day of January in each year. There may also be an entrance fee of such sum as the Directors may from time to time determine, payable on election. In the event of a proposed change in the subscriptions to Members, these shall be discussed and voted on at the AGM each year.

  1. METHOD OF ELECTION

Details of all Members to be nominated as Directors, Flag Officers or Committee Members shall be provided to the Club Secretary thirty days in advance of the Annual General Meeting. Any application for a position on the Committee shall be formerly proposed and seconded by two current fully paid up Members of the club.

Should the number of nominations not exceed the number of vacancies, the Chair shall declare those nominated duly elected.

Should the number of nominations for any Director, Flag Officer or the Committee exceed the number of vacancies the Members present shall elect by ballot from those nominated in the following manner:-

Election shall be held first for the Directors, then the Flag Officers, commencing with the Senior. Voting papers shall be delivered to the Chair and handed by him/her to two scrutineers appointed by the Chair who shall be any Members not standing for election. The result of the ballot shall be declared immediately by the Chair together with the names of the nominations for any other Flag Officers or the Committee. Any Member not so elected shall be eligible for election to any other office or the Committee for which s/he shall have been duly nominated. After the Directors and Flag Officers have been elected, an election by ballot shall be held for the vacancies on the Committee.

Any voting papers not clearly and correctly filled in shall be declared null and void.

  1. ALTERATIONS OF THE BYE LAWS

Any Member wishing to propose an amendment to the Bye Laws of the Club must send the full text thereof in writing to the Club Secretary. Such proposal shall be brought before the Directors and then submitted to the next following AGM or an EGM called for the purpose together with any recommendations of the Committee. Adoption shall require a two-thirds majority of those present and for this particular purpose twelve Members shall be necessary to form a quorum.

  1. RESIGNATION

Any Member wishing to resign from the Club shall notify his/her wish in writing to the Club Secretary on or before the 30th November in any year and in default of such notification shall be liable for the subscription of the ensuing year.

  1. SPECIAL CASES

The Directors shall have the power to deal with any case which may arise that is not provided for by the Bye Laws including expulsion and its decision shall be final and binding on all parties concerned.

 

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Articles of Association are available from Companies House.