Constitution

The Club shall be known as the Severn Vale Riding Club

The objects of the Club are: to encourage riding as a sport and recreation; to improve and maintain the standard of riding and horsemanship; to organise instructional meetings, lectures and other activities; to be affiliated to the British Horse Society and to support and co-operate with recognised organisations interested in the breeding and use of all types of horses and ponies; to concern itself with any objective which will benefit the horse and horse user in the district.

Club membership shall consist of persons who have attained the age of seventeen years and have paid the due subscription for the current period. Honorary membership shall be at the discretion of the Committee, upon persons who have rendered notable service to the Club.

The annual subscription shall be payable on the first day of October. Any member whose subscription is more than three months in arrears shall have their names removed from the membership list, after written notice to the effect has been sent to him/her, unless the waiting list for membership is in existence at the time, when existing members will be given the month of October as grace to pay their subscriptions and then their places will be handed on down the waiting list. If they then re-apply, their name will have to be placed at the end of the waiting list for future vacancies.

The Committee may expel any member of the Club who has been guilty of misconduct, provided that, before expulsion, the Committee shall call upon him/her for an explanation of his/her conduct and shall hear what he/she may wish to urge in his/her defence.

The Administration of the Club is as follows: the administration consists of the Chairman, Honorary Secretaries (four), Honorary Treasurer and six other Committee Members, out of this twelve, five shall form a quorum. At the AGM each year, the Committee shall be re-elected. The decision of the Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the rules, or for anything related to the Club, provided therein and their decision shall be final and binding upon the members The Committee may formulate bye-laws for the detailed running of the Club and elect Sub-Committees for any special activities of the Club, which the Committee may authorise. The Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy arising among the members of the Committee,but any persons co-opted shall retain office only until the next AGM and shall then be eligible for re-election. Only paid-up members to be able to stand as a prospective Committee Member and only paid-up members to be allowed to propse, second or vote for a Committee Member.

The Chairman may ask for the resignation of a Committee Member who, in the opinion of the Committee, is not carrying out their duties to the full.

The Financial Year of the Club shall commence on the first day of September.

The Annual Subscription shall be Ł16 Riding and Ł12 Non-riding. A reduction of Ł2 shall be made on second and subsequent subscriptions within the same family, riding or non-riding. There will be a joining fee of Ł3 for new and lapsed members.

Should the Club be dissolved, at any time, for any reason whatsoever, the assets, to include all possessions and/or premises, shall be auctioned to the general public by an independent auctioneer, appointed by the Committee. The profit of any such auction shall be aggregated with all, if any, monies belonging to the Club and distributed to such local charities in such proportions as shall be the decision of the Committee then empowered.

All applications for membership to come before the Committee for approval.

Membership will close annually on 30 June and re-open on 1 October, unless closed previously, due to membership being full.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in September each year, to transact the following business: to receive and, if approved, to adopt a statement of the Club's accounts, to the end of the preceding year; to elect a Committee; to appoint an Auditor; to deal with any special matters which the Committee may desire to bring before the members and to receive suggestions by the members for consideration by the Committee. Notice covering the AGM shall be sent to the members to be dealt with.

A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee, or by a request signed by not less than five members, specifying the business to be discussed. The Secretaries shall give the members ten days notice of the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.

The accounts of the Club shall be audited each year by a person appointed at the previous AGM.

These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolutions at any Annual or Special General Meeting, provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless carried by a majority, provided prior notice has been sent to all members, stating the proposed amendments.

The Club, its Committee or persons acting on their behalf shall not be responsible for any accident or injury, to person or property, howsoever caused.