RULES OF THE BRIDGWATER CYCLING CLUB
- NAME.
The Club shall be called the Bridgwater Cycling Club. - OBJECTIVES.
The objectives of the Club shall be to promote the enjoyment of cycling, provide facilities for cyclists and for the social
interaction of members. - AFFILIATION.
The Club shall be affiliated to the three most relevant national cycling organisations, namely Cycling UK, British Cycling
and the Cycling Time Trials (CTT). Affiliation to other cycling related organisations may be arranged by the Committee at
their discretion and ratified at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). - MEMBERS.
The Club shall consist principally of three classes of membership: members affiliated to Cycling UK through their Club
membership, to be known as Affiliated members, CUK members, the latter available to persons holding current personal
membership of the Cycling UK. and full members of British Cycling All classes of members pay an annual subscription to
the Club and the required subscription to their chosen cycling organisation but enjoy equal status as Full members.
Membership as a Friend of Bridgwater Cycling Club shall be available to persons wishing to retain contact with the club as
non-cycling members.
Only Full members of the Club will be eligible to vote at any AGM, Special General Meeting (SGM) or in any postal
ballots. - COMMITTEE.
The Club shall be managed by a Committee of at least four members, comprising a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and
any other designation of Officer deemed relevant by the Committee and ratified by the AGM. The Committee shall be
elected at the AGM in each year and, subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise, shall remain in office until
their successors are elected at the next AGM. The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur. The
retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. - SUBSCRIPTION.
The annual subscription fees shall be agreed at the AGM in the preceding year. The Committee shall have the discretion to
amend the insurance component of fees as necessary during the year in response to changing CTC insurance levies.
Subscriptions shall be due on the 1st day of April in every year and any subscription payment NOT made by 20th April of
that Club year will automatically nullify that membership. In the case of two or more members of the same family residing
at the same address, the Committee may at their discretion make such reductions in the annual subscription as they think fit. - LIFE MEMBERS.
Any member who has been a fully paying member for not less than one year may, subject to the consent of the Committee,
become a life member on payment of a sum decided by the Committee in lieu of further annual subscriptions. The
Committee shall have power to fix a limit to the number of life members. - HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS.
The Committee shall have power to elect as honorary life members without payment of any further subscription, any
member of not less than three years standing who shall in the opinion of the committee have rendered outstanding services to
the Club, but such election shall not take effect unless and until confirmed at the next AGM ensuing after the date of
election. There shall not be more than five honorary life members at any one time. - VISITORS.
Persons contemplating becoming members of the Club may attend up to three Club rides before being required to apply for
membership. This is on clear understanding that as non-members they will not be covered by the Club insurance and will be
participating solely at their own risk. Visitors will be advised to arrange their own insurance cover. - INSURANCE.
It is a requirement of membership that all active cycling members be covered by third party Public Liability insurance. The
appropriate level of insurance acceptable to the Club is only available by members being either Full or Affiliate members of
Cycling UK or by having British Cycling membership at a level that includes third party Public Liability Insurance.
It is incumbent on all Club members to renew their membership on the due date annually whether they have Cycling UK or
British Cycling membership.
Guest riders, potential new members and “Friends” of BCC will be covered by the Club’s public liability insurance for a
maximum number of three rides only.
Whosoever is appointed Ride Leader for any Club rides shall be deemed to be a temporary officer of the Club for the
purpose of insurance indemnity. - RESIGNATION.
A member desiring to withdraw from the Club must give notice to the Secretary. The subscription fee or any portion thereof
is non-returnable unless specifically refunded at the discretion of the Committee. - EXPULSION OF MEMBERS.
The Committee shall have power to expel any member who shall offend against the rules of the Club or whose conduct shall
in the opinion of the Committee render him/her unfit for membership of the Club. Before any member is expelled the
Secretary shall give him/her seven days written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and shall inform him/her of the
complaints made against him/her.
No member shall be expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the Committee to put his/her case, nor
at least three quarters of the Committee then present vote in favour of his/her expulsion. No member whose membership has
been terminated under this rule or who owes money to the Club shall be introduced in future by any other member as a
visitor to any Club activity. - ALTERATION TO THE CLUB RULES.
The Committee shall have the power to alter rules but no such alteration shall take effect until the same has been confirmed
at either the AGM, or a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or through postal ballot of full members.
In each event a simple majority vote will determine the outcome, irrespective of how many members have participated. - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
A general meeting of the Club shall be held every year not later than the 31st day of March to transact the following business:
a. To receive, approve and adopt a statement of the Club’s accounts to the end of the preceding year;
b. To consider and approve any alteration to the rules not previously ratified through a special meeting or a
postal ballot;
c. To appoint the officers and other members of the Committee;
d. To appoint an auditor(s);
e. To deal with any special matter which the Committee desire to bring before the members and to receive
suggestions from the members for consideration by the committee.
f. To agree subscriptions for the following year. Notice convening the general meeting shall be before the
members not less than ten days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with. - SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING.
A special general meeting (SGM) may be convened at any time by the Committee, OR shall be convened within twenty-one
days from the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than ten members specifying an important or serious
matter which should rightly be put to the whole Club membership for their determination. - CHAIRPERSON AT MEETINGS.
At Committee meetings and general meetings a chairperson shall be elected to preside and shall have a casting or additional
vote in the event of an equality of votes. - QUORUM.
At Committee meetings (except for purposes of rule 13) three shall form a quorum. At general meetings ten shall form a
quorum. Associates may attend general meetings but they shall not be entitled to vote and they shall not be counted as part
of the necessary quorum. - MEMBERS RESPONSIBILITIES.
Members joining rides organised by the Club are responsible for ensuring that they have appropriate clothing and that their
cycle is roadworthy and complies with applicable legislation. Members shall be conversant with the requirements of the
Highway Code relating to cyclists and comply with the reasonable instructions of the Ride Leader and/or any Committee
member present. - DISSOLUTION.
If, at any general meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Club be passed by the majority of members present and such
a resolution shall at a special meeting held not less than a month thereafter at which not less than one half of the members
shall be present be confirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of two thirds of the members voting thereon, the
Committee shall thereupon or at a future date as be specified in such resolution proceed to realise the property of the Club
and after discharge of all liabilities shall donate/divide the residue equally among such charity(s) as the Committee shall
determine and upon of such donation/division the Club shall be dissolved.