Constitution of the Putney Branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (Putney BSAC)

Putney BSAC rules (as revised 2006)

The Branch shall be known as Putney.

The Headquarters of the branch shall be at Putney Pool or at such place as may at any time be decided by the Committee.

The management of the Branch shall be vested in the Committee which shall consist of four officers i.e. the Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Diving Officer and not less than two members. The Committee, apart from the Diving Officer, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. No officer may hold an appointment for longer than three consecutive years. Only full members of the club may serve as officers.

The Diving Officer shall be appointed by the Committee at a meeting immediately following the Annual General Meeting. He shall be responsible to the Committee for arranging all diving and training activities and for setting and maintaining standards and approving full members qualifications. He shall be allowed to appoint assistants as he requires subject to the approval of the Committee.

The Committee shall, at its first meeting, appoint one of its number Vice-Chairman. The Vice-Chairman shall act as Chairman at committee meetings and general meetings in the absence of the Chairman.

The Committee shall normally meet once a month. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer is empowered to call a special Committee Meeting of all members available, any decision of which must be ratified at the next monthly meeting.

A majority of the Committee shall form a quorum; one of whom must be the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman or the Honorary Secretary. The Chairman of the meeting shall not vote except when it is necessary to exercise a casting vote.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to four full members onto the committee, and the Committee shall have the power to make an appointment to fill any vacancy among the Officers of the Branch or co-opted members.

The Branch year shall run from the 1st October to 30th September.

Membership of the Branch shall be subject to proposal and seconder and is at the discretion of the Committee. There shall be three classes of membership of the Branch, social, full and instructor. Social membership is open to members who do not participate in diving activities in the year. Instructor members are full members who have attained BSAC Open Water Instructor qualification. Subscription rates for the classes of membership for the ensuing year shall be agreed by the Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in November of each year. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all paid-up full and social members six weeks before the meeting. This notification is to include any motions proposed by the Committee, a reminder that any full member may propose an amendment to these motions and that he may make any further motions for consideration at the meeting. Any such amendment or motion must be proposed and seconded and delivered to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the meeting. This notification is also to contain the names of those Officers and Members of the present Committee willing to stand again and a request for any other nominations for the Committee. All nominations must be delivered to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the meeting proposed and seconded and signed by the nominee that he is willing to accept the position if he is elected. A quorum at all General Meetings shall be 10% of the full members. Social members shall not be entitled to vote. Voting on such matters as the Committee considers may affect the objects or rules of the Branch may be by postal ballot; any such motion shall be passed only by a 2-1 majority of votes cast by not less than 33% of the full members. Otherwise, the method of voting shall be by ballot or show of hands. Any business conducted at an Annual General Meeting can also be conducted at a Special General Meeting, subject to Rule 14.

Any General Meeting other than the Annual General Meeting shall be known as a Special General Meeting and must be, on the receipt of a request to do so signed by at least twelve paid-up full members and giving the reason therefore, within two months thereof be convened by the Committee on giving fourteen days notice to all paid-up full and social members.

The Committee shall have the power to call a Special General Meeting.

The business of a Special General Meeting shall be that for which it was called and no other.

Any member who lends or uses his own equipment, borrowed or hired equipment not owned by the Branch, for training or diving and whilst in transit thereto or therefrom shall be deemed to be responsible for such equipment and no liability shall be accepted for any loss of or damage to such equipment by the Branch. The Committee reserves the right to charge any member for the cost of repair or replacement of any equipment owned by the Branch, lost or damaged (excluding wear tear and depreciation) by any means whilst in the custody or control of such member.

In order to ensure the safety and good name of the Branch and its members, the Branch official in charge of a Branch activity may suspend for the duration of the activity any member who commits a misconduct. Any such suspension must be reported to the Chairman and Honorary Secretary as soon as possible and must be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee. The suspended member shall have the right to be present at any meeting at which his suspension is discussed in order to hear the reasons for the suspension and to address the Committee in answer to such reasons. The Branch official in charge of a Branch activity is appointed by the Diving Officer.

The Committee may by a two-thirds majority of all Members thereof suspend or request the resignation of any Officer or Member of the Committee or of the Branch: failing compliance within seven days of any such request such Officer or Member shall be deemed to have been suspended: provided that, before requiring the suspension or resignation, the Committee shall give such Officer or Member the opportunity of appearing before the Committee, or hearing the reasons for such proposed suspension or request to resign, and of addressing the Committee in answer to such reasons, and provided further that the Officer or Member shall have right of appeal to a General Meeting.

The Branch activities shall be open to members of other Branches at the discretion of the Official in charge.

No Member of the Club or visitor may use equipment other than basic equipment in the training pool without the permission of the official in charge of the session.

Branch members, visitors from other Branches or guests are, on arrival to inform the Official in charge of the pool if they wish to enter the pool for the purpose of training with, or testing, an aqualung. Subject to the provision of Rule 19, any full member may use the training pool for training, testing equipment, swimming with basic equipment and, when authorised, free swimming. Social members may not enter the pool. All training shall be under the jurisdiction of the Diving Officer.

The Honorary Treasurer shall keep proper books of account of all moneys received or paid on behalf of the Branch, and shall effect in the name of the Branch and keep records of all investments by the Committee. He shall arrange for all such moneys and securities to be deposited at such branch of such bank as the Committee may direct to the credit of an account in the name of the Branch, on which cheques and other orders shall be signed by not less than two of the following Officers: the Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. He shall be responsible for the calling-in and collection of all debts, subscriptions and for the due discharge of all liabilities of the Branch out of Branch funds as the Committee may direct. He shall prepare a statement of income and expenditure and balance sheet to the 30th September of each year, which he shall cause to be audited by the Branch auditors and presented to the Committee for submission to the Annual General Meeting, and he may be assisted by such person or persons as the Committee may approve.

The Committee may arrange for informal meetings of the Branch of which notice shall be given not less than four weeks before the date of such a meeting.

The Committee shall determine any questions as to the interpretation of these Rules and of any regulations made thereunder and may rule for any occurrence not otherwise catered for in these Rules provided that an appropriate amendment thereto is moved at the next Annual General Meeting.

If at any General Meeting of the Branch a resolution be passed for the dissolution of the Branch and such a resolution shall, at a Special General meeting held not less than one month thereafter, be confirmed by a majority of two-thirds of the full members of the Branch, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Branch and, after the discharge of all liabilities, shall hand over the net assets to such body having similar objects to those of the Branch as shall have been specified in such resolution.

Additions to previous rules underlined.