SMC Constitution – Scottish Motorcycle Club

Scottish Motorcycle Club Constitution

1. Definitions

1.1 “Club” means the Scottish Motorcycle Club.
1.2 “Constitution” means this constitution and any subsequent amendments.
1.3 “Club Year” is the year from 1 April in one year to 31 March in the following year.
1.4 “Committee” means those persons properly appointed under Clause 7 of the Constitution.
1.5 “Member” means any person registered under a membership number of the Club as laid down in Clause 4 of the Constitution.
1.6 “Annual Accounts” means the audited accounts of the Club for the period from 1 January to 31 December in any year.

2. Name

2.1 The name of the Club is Scottish Motorcycle Club (“SMC” in abbreviated form).

3. Purpose

3.1 The Club holds regular meetings and organises runs to places of interest. Other social events are organised throughout the year.The Club is an independent, non-profit making, members’ club formed for the purpose of promoting the interests of Members riding motorcycles responsibly for fun and social pleasure.
3.2 The Club holds regular meetings and organises runs to places of interest. Other social events are organised throughout the year.

4. Membership

4.1 Subject to submission of a completed application form and payment of the annual subscription, membership of the Club is open to anyone with an interest in motorcycling.
4.2 The annual subscription for the following Club Year is determined by a vote of Members during the Annual General Meeting.
4.3 Members who join the Club after 30 September in any year will be permitted to pay 50% of the annual membership fee covering the balance of the Club Year.
4.4 Membership data from application forms is accepted by the Membership Secretary, handled in confidence and held on computer. It will not be divulged to any parties other than members of the Committee as required to perform their functions. Members may opt to allow certain details to be made available to other Members.

5. Communication

5.1 The contact points for the Club are the address, telephone number(s), website and e-mail addresses provided by the Membership Secretary and Web-Master as published on the website.
5.2 The Club recognises that not all Members are able to attend all meetings so news of Club events and other activities will be posted on the Club Website, sent through email and posted on the closed Social Media groups.
5.3 The Club maintains a public website where more information about the Club can be found. A private members area is published for Members only.
5.4 Club communications will be sent to Members at their email address as notified to the Membership Secretary.

6. Responsibilities

6.1 Members and their guests individually and not the Club, organisers’ or Committee, are responsible for themselves, their passengers and their machines at all times.
6.2 No Member shall behave in such a way as to bring the Club into disrepute nor compromise the interests or safety of other Members in any way. Non-observance of this rule may lead to termination of membership or lesser penalty at the absolute discretion of the Committee.

7. Committee

7.1 The Club is managed on behalf of Members by a Committee of at least four Members who undertake the responsibilities of Chairperson, Runs Co-ordinator, Membership Secretary, Meetings Secretary, Treasurer, Web-Master and Merchandise & Annual Events Co-Ordinator.
7.2 Committee members are elected by a ballot of Members during the Annual General meeting
(AGM) and retire at the following AGM when they may offer themselves for re-election. There is no limit as to the number of times a Member may be re-elected to the Committee or to any individual post.
7.3 The Chairperson may co-opt Members to the Committee to fill any vacancies arising until the next AGM. Members may volunteer to serve on the Committee at any time; acceptance is at the sole discretion of the Chairperson.
7.4 The Chairperson or nominated deputy chairs the Club and Committee meetings.
7.5 The Runs Co-ordinator maintains the calendar of runs detailing dates, meeting times and places. The full calendar of events is available on the Members’ area of the website and closed Social Media groups (including those added by the Merchandise & Annual Events Co-Ordinator (see paragraph 7.10 below). A summary of upcoming events is communicated to Members.
7.6 The Meetings Secretary prepares an agenda in collaboration with the Chairperson, produces the minutes of meetings and arranges the accommodation for the meetings.
7.7 The Membership Secretary is responsible for all membership records, enquiries, subscriptions and renewals, membership cards, distribution to Members, affiliation fees etc.. All these records are strictly confidential and may not be revealed to others, except as noted in Clause 4 above, without the Member’s specific agreement. The Membership Secretary acts as the primary co8tact for the Club and is responsible for responding to enquiries to the Club’s e-mail address.
7.8 The Treasurer is responsible for looking after the finances of the Club, operates and checks the bank accounts, receives and makes payments and produces Annual Accounts for ratification by the Members at the AGM.
7.9 The Web-Master is responsible for creating, developing and maintaining the Club website. Committee members have rights to add and edit content on the website.
7.10 The Merchandise & Annual Events Co-ordinator is responsible for the sourcing and making available for sale, suitable motorcycling related items to the Members, to promote the name of the Scottish Motorcycle Club. The Merchandise & Annual Events Co-Ordinator also maintains the calendar of recurring events (i.e. Awards Night, AGM & Christmas Dinner).

8. Finance

8.1 Expenditure is subject to approval in accordance with paragraphs 8.2 to 8.4. In all cases, the approver(s) must be satisfied that the expenditure is justified, reasonable and adequately documented.
8.2 Amounts up to £100 may be approved by the Treasurer alone.
8.3 Amounts over £100 may be approved by the Treasurer alone in respect of payments for specific goods and services for which Members have previously made payment to the Treasurer, such that the net debit to Club funds does not exceed £100 in any instance.
8.4 Amounts over £100 must otherwise be put before the Committee for approval, and require a vote involving at least 3 Committee Members. Decisions will be recorded in the Committee Minutes.
8.5 Club cheques for any amount may be signed by any one of the Treasurer, Chairperson or Membership Secretary, always subject to the approval conditions above.
8.6 Funds resulting from an excess of income over expenditure are to be used for the benefit of the Club or may otherwise be retained in a bank account, held in the name of the Scottish Motorcycle Club, for such future use.

9. Meetings

9.1 Club Meetings are normally held monthly on the second Thursday of each month, at which all Members are encouraged to contribute their ideas, suggestions and experience.
9.2 Guests are welcome to attend one Club meeting before deciding whether to apply for membership of the Club. Guest speakers may attend an unlimited number of Club meetings at the invitation of the Chairperson.
9.3 Committee Meetings are held at least once a quarter to attend to the business of the club. Minutes of the Committee Meeting are recorded by the Meetings Secretary and made available to Members.
9.4 At Committee meetings the Chairperson may call for a vote on any relevant issue, and may exercise a casting vote in the event that an equal number of votes “for” and “against” are received.
9.5 Recognising that not all Members are able to attend Clun meetings, the Chairperson may require that an issue be extended to the whole membership by means of an email voting slip. In such cases, a Member may vote only once on any given question.
9.6 Proposed changes to this Constitution will be voted upon only at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

10. Annual General Meeting (AGM)

10.1 The AGM will be held in the first quarter of each calendar year.
10.2 The Membership Secretary is responsible for giving all Members at least two months’ notice of the AGM. This notice will be emailed to members and posted on the club website. The Agenda will be set by the Chairperson, Members may submit motions for consideration, nominate other Members for Committee posts and send in proxy forms as provided for in the notice. The closing date for receiving these will be the date of the Club meeting before the AGM after which this information will be communicated to the Members.
10.3 Voting protocol at the Annual General Meeting is the same as that given under “MEETINGS” above.

11. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)

11.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Chairperson on receipt of a written request signed by at least 10% of the Members. At least 14 days’ notice of such a meeting will be given to all Members.
11.2 An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called for one specified purpose only, that purpose to be set out in the form of a substantive motion upon which Members may be asked to vote. No amendment to such a motion will be permitted.
11.3 Voting protocol at an Extraordinary General Meeting is the same as that given under “MEETINGS” above.

12. Club Events

12.1 For reasons of safety, all riders (both Members and their guests) participating in Club runs must hold a valid full or provisional (with valid CBT Certificate) UK motorcycle license or legally acceptable equivalent and a valid certificate of motor insurance. Holders of provisional licenses will only be permitted to participate in Club runs that are specifically designated as being suitable for learner riders. Participating vehicles must be legally roadworthy.
12.2 Members and their guests individually and not the Club, organisers’ or Committee, are responsible for themselves and their vehicles at all times. This includes the responsibility of ensuring that they are able to participate in the event safely.
12.3 Club riding events are generally intended to be undertaken safely by riders of average ability. Riders with limited experience, or those who hold licenses with a restriction of any sort, should discuss their participation in advance with the run organiser.
12.4 Potential Members are welcome to participate in one Club event as the guest of a Member before deciding whether to apply for membership of the Club.
12.5 To meet the requirements of the club BMF Public Liability Insurance, all club runs and other events must be approved by at least one member of the committee, before taking place. As only committee members may add events to the website calendar, any event which appears in the calendar will be deemed to be approved, unless marked ‘Not a club event’.