SOLENT RADIO CONTROLLED MODEL YACHT CLUB.

• Rules. (Revised 6th April 2001)
• (Rule 11c Changed 5/4/2002)
• (Rule 9a added 2/4/04)
• (Rule 9b added & Rule 3 changed 7/4/2006)
• (Rule 4a added 4/4/07)
• (Revised 9/4/2010)

1. Title

The Club shall be called The Solent Radio Controlled Model Yacht Club. The Club comprises a Sailing Section and a Scale Section.

2. Objects of the Club.

The objects of the club shall be: -
 
(a) To encourage the design, building and racing of the International RM, and IOM class, the National 36R class, and the 6 Metre class of Model Yachts.
 
(b) To research, design, build and operate scale model boats of all kinds propelled by any means but excluding the use of any internal combustion engine.
 
(c) To further the interest in model boating and yachting in any other way.

3. Government

One Constitution shall cover the activities of both sections of the club but it may include clauses specific to one section. No alterations to the Constitution shall be permitted without the agreement of the majority of members present at General Meetings of each section. Nor will either section be able to vote on matters solely concerning the other section.

The officers of the Club shall be: A Club Management Committee for overall management and administration comprising the Club President and the Sailing Section Secretary and Scale Section Captain.

The Section Committees shall be as follows:
 
Sailing Section: Hon. Secretary, Hon. Membership Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Measurer and three other Senior Members. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members to the Committee if it is in the club's interest to do so.
 
Scale Section: Scale Captain, Hon. Treasurer, Steam Engineer and one other Senior Member. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members to the Committee if it is in the club's interest to do so.

Each Section shall hold committee meetings, with a quorum of four, as required to deal with the management and organisation of the clubs activities. General decisions agreed at these meetings to be included in the section's newsletters. Liaison between the two Committees shall be on an informal basis to share information, agree matters of common interest such as sailing times, special events, or illness and membership matters. All Officers and members of the Section Committees shall retire annually and are eligible for re-election at the Section AGMs. Names of members nominated for any of these Offices shall be in writing to the relevant Section Committee not later than 28 days before the AGM. These nominations to be duly proposed and seconded, and the nominee must sign to the effect that he is prepared to serve if elected. Scale section members are not allowed to propose or vote for any members of the Sailing Committee and Sailing Members are not allowed to vote for any members of the Scale Committee.

4. Membership.

The Club shall consist of Senior Members, over the age of 18, Junior Members, under the age of 18, and Honorary Members. Member's wives, husbands, or partners, may be considered 'Honorary Members' of the club unless they wish to join as 'Senior Members' paying the full subscription. Senior Members will receive a Section news letter which will be published on an informal basis. Honorary Members and Junior Members shall have no voting rights at General meetings of the club sections. All candidates for membership shall apply to either the Sailing Section or the Scale Section and shall be proposed and seconded by members of that section and balloted for at their respective committee meetings. Election must be by unanimous vote of those present. The Committee's decision shall be final. Any member of either section wishing to join the other section must separately apply to that section and be approved as above. The joining fee will not apply in this case and a reduced subscription may apply.

4A. Junior Members under 16 yrs age

All members children under the age of 16 wishing to sail/attend the club must be accompanied by a Parent, Guardian or Carer. The club cannot accept responsibility for any unaccompanied children.

5. Subscriptions.

The annual subscriptions for both sections of the club shall be set by their respective committees and be approved at the section AGM. The Annual subscriptions for senior members shall include any fees payable to Affiliated bodies as agreed by the respective committees. Annual subscriptions for junior members shall be half that of Senior Members. A family membership subscription (at twice the Senior Membership rate) will provide membership for one Senior Member, one Honorary Member, and any Junior Members within that family. Members joining after the 30th September in any year shall pay half fees. New members shall pay an Entrance fee to cover the cost of providing copies of club literature.

Annual Subscriptions shall be paid in advance and be due on the 1st April each year. Members whose subscriptions remain unpaid at 31st May shall be deemed to have resigned. If subsequently they wish to return to the club, normal entry shall be sought as provided in Rule 4.

6. General Meetings.

The Annual General Meetings of the Club Sections shall be held in April of each year. Six members of a Section may call an extra-ordinary General Meeting of that Section on the written application to the Hon. Secretary (Sailing Section) or Scale Captain (Scale Section).

Either Section Committee may call an extra-ordinary General Meeting of the Section at any time for the discussion of Specific Section Business. Notice of any motion to be proposed at any General Meeting, with the names of the proposer and seconder, shall be given to the relevant Section Committee at least 14 days before the meeting, and shall be included in the circulated copy of the Agenda. Members shall have at least seven days clear notice of any General Meeting, with the Agenda and (for AGMs) the previous year's AGM minutes.

Either Section Committee may request a meeting of the Club Management Committee for the discussion of business which has implications for both sections of the Club.

7. Accounts and Audit.

The two sections of the club will be separately responsible for controlling their own finances through separate bank accounts. Each Section committee will be responsible for controlling income and expenditure, setting subscription rates, and maintaining proper records of all receipts and payments.

The items of common expenditure including Insurance and Pond rental shall be arranged and paid for by the Club Management Committee and invoiced in an appropriate manner. The financial year of the Club shall run from 1st April to 31st March each year. The Accounts of each Section shall be audited annually after the closure of the financial year, and an audited statement presented to the section AGMs and made available to the Club Management Committee.

8. President and Vice Presidents.

There may be a President and one or more Vice Presidents of the Club who shall be proposed by the Club Management Committee and approved at general meetings of the two sections. They shall have the right to attend all meetings but only have the right to vote at the Section AGMs.

9. Winding up.

In the event of the club being disbanded for any reason, the Clubs assets shall be disposed of to a suitable Charity nominated by the Club Management Committee. Any Trophies shall be offered back to the donors. No member shall gain financially from the Club.

9a. Disclaimer.

The Club accepts no Liability or responsibility for accidents or damage to boats sailed on the club water irrespective of how caused.

9b. Radio Transmitters.

All transmitter aerials having an extended length greater than 250mm shall have the tip shrouded with either a rubber ball or practice golf ball. Only radio frequencies within the permitted radio bands for surface models shall be used.

10. Data Protection Act.

Membership of the club and acceptance of these rules by the member will be deemed to constitute consent, for the purpose of the Data protection act 1984, to the holding of relevant personal data for Club administrative purposes only.

11. Additional rules for the Sailing Section Only.

(a) Visitors

Visitors from other MYA Affiliated Clubs shall be welcomed as Honorary members on signing the visitors book; other visitors shall also be welcomed and shall become members for one day on payment of 50p; such visits shall be limited to two per year. Committee Members shall have receipt books and are authorised to collect visitors fees in the absence of the Hon. Treasurer. No visitors shall be eligible to hold club Trophies.

(b) Affiliations.

The club shall maintain affiliation to the Model Yachting Association.

(c) Racing.

All racing shall be held within the spirit of the MYA rules. All IOM, RM and 36R class Yachts sailed in club competitions must have been measured by an approved Measurer and have a Class Measurement Certificate. A Club Measurer may check at any club event that a yacht conforms to its Class Measurement Certificate. Any Trophy winning yacht found not to conform would forfeit the Trophy.

(d) Use of Pond

Sailing times and programme shall be set by the Club Management committee and are currently all day on Tuesdays and Fridays and Sunday afternoons if required. Up to four full days on Sundays shall be allowed for Trophy events. Any major changes to these times must have the agreement of both Section Committees.

(e) Further Sailing Section Rules

Further rules, relevant to the Sailing Section only, may be defined by the Sailing Section Committee as required.

12. Additional Rules for the Scale Section Only.

(a) Vessels Allowed.

The scale section shall only operate models powered by wind, electricity or steam. Under no circumstances shall models using internal combustion engines be allowed. This is to comply with the Forestry Commission Permit. Electric racing boats shall also be discouraged, but if so accepted the noise level must be insignificant at a distance of 75 paces from the waters edge. Scale sailing vessels and yachts are welcome but the sailing of racing yachts and higher speed electric scale models should only be allowed at the top end of the pool to avoid any risk of damage to the scale boats.

(b) Steam

A Steam Engineer and Boiler Tester shall be appointed and all steam-powered models shall be inspected and have their boilers tested, as per the current MPBA recommendations, prior to sailing. Records shall be kept of all such tests.

(c) Use of Pond.

Sailing times and programme to be set by the committee and are currently all day on Thursdays and Sunday mornings. Up to four full days on Sundays is available to the Sailing Section for Trophy events and, if such days are required, the dates will be clearly stated in the annual programme. Any major changes to these times must have the agreement of both Section committees.

(d) Further Scale Section Rules

Further rules, relevant to the Scale Section only, may be defined by the Scale Section Committee as required.