CLUB RULES
1. The club shall be called WILLINGDON PROBUS CLUB, EASTBOURNE.
2. Purpose and Objects
To provide regular meetings for retired and partially-retired professional and businessmen who would value increased social contacts and the opportunity for meeting others in similar circumstances.
3. Membership
Open to retired, or partially-retired professional and businessmen resident in Willingdon or surrounding area, subject to a limit in numbers as may, from time to time, be decided by the club. Every potential applicant for membership shall be personally introduced by an existing member as a guest at a lunch, prior to any application for membership being submitted for approval or rejection by the Committee.
Honorary Life Membership. The Committee may from time to time appoint from the members an individual as Honorary Life Member. Such member shall have made a significant contribution to the club and shall enjoy membership without payment of the annual fee, or satisfying the attendance requirements set out under rule 9.
4. Constitution
There shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Speaker’s Secretary and Honorary Social Secretary. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee of these officers and four other members. One of the Committee shall also act as Almoner.
Officers shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting each March. The Chairman and Vice Chairman will hold office for one year, it being understood that the retiring Chairman will be replaced automatically by his Vice Chairman. The succeeding Vice Chairman will be selected from all members by vote by all members at the Annual General Meeting.
The Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer will be appointed for two years and may be re-elected. They should not step down from the Committee during the same year. The Honorary Speaker’s Secretary and the Honorary Social Secretary will hold office for undefined periods, subject to approval of members.
The other four Committee members will serve for two years with terms of office so arranged to give continuity by the retirement and replacement of two at every Annual General Meeting. Others may be co-opted as considered necessary from time to time. However, any member who has served as a specific officer on the Committee for five successive years shall stand down from that particular office, but will otherwise be free to serve elsewhere on the Committee.
5. Meetings
The Club shall meet on the first and third Thursday in each month or at such other dates as determined by by the Club. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in March of each year at such time and place as shall be determined by the Committee. At least fourteen days notice of such meeting shall be given to the members specifying the business to be transacted. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Honorary Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by no less than fifteen members indicating the reason for such meeting. Members are to be given at least twenty one days notice of such a meeting.
6. Subscription
Each member shall pay an annual subscription of Twenty Pounds or other such sum as shall be agreed by the Club at the Annual General Meeting. Subscriptions will be due on the First of April each year or immediately upon joining the Club.
7. Accounts
The Honorary Treasurer shall collect all monies due to the Club and deal personally with all expenditure by the Club, however incurred. At the Annual General Meeting the Honorary Treasurer shall present an Income and Expenditure Account for the period ending on the last day of January each year.
8. Alterations
These Rules may only be altered at an Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with section 5.
9. Attendance
In the interests of ‘PURPOSE AND OBJECTS’ (Rule 2) members are expected to attend 50% of all lunches and Coffee Mornings at least, in each of two six-month periods, viz: 1st April to 30th September and 1st October to 31st March.
