The River Cruiser Class

CONSTITUTION

The constitution is divided into the following sections:

1. Names and Objects
2. Terms and Definitions
3. Officers
4. Membership
5. General Committee
6. Meetings of the River Cruiser Class
7. Limitations and Other Requirements

SECTION 1 – NAME AND OBJECTS

1. The name of the class association shall be ‘The River Cruiser Class’.
2. The objects of the association are to promote and facilitate the interests of the River Cruiser Class and to represent the interests of owners of River Cruiser Class boats as follows: –

• to keep members informed of developments concerning The River Cruiser Class and any proposals concerning Class Rules.
• to further the interest of the River Cruiser Class yachts and their owners
• to maintain a register of all River Cruiser Class yachts and their owners
• to allot handicaps to River Cruiser Class yachts for the purposes of racing
• to publicise and promote races, regattas, rallies and other social events for River Cruiser Class yachts and their owners
• to encourage competition on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads for the River Cruiser Class
• to promulgate information on technical development within the River Cruiser Class
• to do all such things as may from time to time be expedient for the welfare of the River Cruiser Class

SECTION 2 – TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

The following expressions shall have the associated meanings:-

(a) “The River Cruiser Class” shall mean the class of sailing boat designed specifically and exclusively for the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads and built and maintained within the rules of the class.

(b) “The Class Rules” shall mean the rules relating to specification, construction, measurement controls, handicapping and racing of the River Cruiser Class as defined in:

• The Construction Rules
• The Handicapping Guidelines
• Competition Rules

(c) “The Committee” shall mean the General Committee of the River Cruiser Class consisting of elected committee members.

(d) “The River Cruiser Class Register” shall mean the register of owners of River Cruiser Class boats with their addresses and boat sail numbers, to be kept as hereafter provided.

(e) “The Class Secretary” shall mean the duly elected Honorary Secretary of the Class Association.

(f) “Owner” and “Joint Owner” shall mean any person or persons, corporation or association entered on the Class Register as owner or joint owner of a River Cruiser Class boat.

(g) “The Sail Number” shall mean the Sail Number allocated to the boat.

SECTION 3 – OFFICERS

The Officers of the River Cruiser Class shall be Members of the River Cruiser Class and shall consist of a Captain, a Vice-Captain, a Rear Captain, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Registrar and an Honorary Treasurer. Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year and shall hold office for one year, retiring at the termination of the Annual General Meeting in each year. All Officers of the Class shall be eligible for re-election.

Duties of Honorary Secretary

The Honorary Secretary shall:-

(a) Conduct the correspondence of the Class and produce a Correspondence File for review at committee meetings;

(b) Keep custody of all Class documents and files, held electronically and with the assistance of other officers;

(c) Keep full minutes of all meetings of the Class and the Committee, which shall be confirmed upon the agreement of the Class or Committee at the next following meeting of the Class or Committee as appropriate; and held electronically.

(d) Communicate the decisions of the Committee to the Class and, when directed by the Committee, non-members of the Class.

(e) Act as the primary contact point for bodies to which the class is associated, such as RYA & NSBA.

(f) In consultation with the Class Captain, produce a meeting agenda to be circulated to the committee before each meeting.

(g) Record decisions to amend a yacht’s handicap that have been proposed, seconded and carried by quorum of the committee. Alter the yacht’s handicap in the class database and inform the owner of the change.

(h) Liaise with NSBA prior to publication of the annual ‘Green Book’ to ensure yacht handicaps are correct, and update the RCC page with details of class events/trophies in the forthcoming year

(i) Arrange for purchase of glasses or other prizes to be presented in respect of Sabrina and Snowbird Trophies.

(j) Any other secretarial duties which may be agreed from time to time.

Duties of the Honorary Class Registrar

The Honorary Class Registrar shall:-

(a) Keep the Class Register;

(b) Keep a register of Class members’ names and addresses

Duties of the Honorary Treasurer

The Honorary Treasurer shall:-

(a) Cause such books of account to be kept as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of finances of the River Cruiser Class.

(b) Cause all returns as may be required by law in relation to such accounts to be rendered at the due time.

(c) Make such payments on behalf of the Class as the Committee shall direct.

(d) Prepare an annual financial statement each year and cause such financial statement to be reviewed and made available to all members of the class at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting

(e) Present the annual financial statement to the River Cruiser Class at its Annual General Meeting.

SECTION 4 – MEMBERSHIP

There shall be the following categories of membership

Full Member any owner of a River Cruiser Class boat or, in the case of joint owners, any one of them or, in the case of a corporation or association, a nominated representative thereof.

Associate Member – any person not a full member but interested in the Class, who shall be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting of the River Cruiser Class but who shall have no vote.

All members shall pay their first annual Membership Fee upon election to the River Cruiser Class and thereafter on the first day of October in each year.

Every member shall furnish the Honorary Registrar with an up-to-date address and email address which shall be recorded in the register of members of the River Cruiser Class and any notice sent to such address shall be deemed to have been duly delivered.

SECTION 5 – GENERAL COMMITTEE

Except in so far as specifically covered by these rules, the management of the River Cruiser Class’s affairs and decisions relating thereto shall be at the discretion of the General Committee, which shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year to hold office until the termination of the next following Annual General Meeting.

The General Committee shall define its own standing orders.

The General Committee shall consist of Honorary Commodore(s), Captain, Vice-Captain, Rear Captain, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Registrar, Honorary Treasurer, the Retiring Captain and a minimum of three and a maximum of seven other members. Not less than eight members of the committee shall be River Cruiser owners. Not more than one member of any joint ownership shall be eligible to serve on the Committee.

Notwithstanding any of the above, the Committee reserves the right to co-opt any member onto the Committee for a specific purpose, such member so co-opted shall be allowed to attend and speak at committee meetings but shall not vote on resolutions. The quorum for a scheduled meeting of the General Committee shall be six. It is recommended that the composition of the Committee should adequately reflect the geographical spread of River Cruiser Class Sailing.

A schedule of General Committee Meetings which will consider the allocation of ratified handicaps shall be published for each season at the preceding AGM, with any subsequent amendments listed on the Class website.

SECTION 6 – MEETINGS OF THE RIVER CRUISER CLASS

An Annual General Meeting of the River Cruiser Class shall be held each year in the month of November on a date to be fixed by the Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall at least fourteen days before the date of such meeting post or deliver to each member notice thereof and of the business to be brought forward thereat. The Committee may call general meetings at such a place (including electronic platforms) as they see fit.

No business, except the approval of the Accounts and the election of the Officers and Committee and any business that the Committee may order to be inserted in the notice convening the meeting shall be discussed at such meeting unless notice thereof be given in writing by a member entitled to vote to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty-eight days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

The Committee may at any time, upon giving twenty-one days’ notice in writing, call a Special General Meeting of the River Cruiser Class for any special business, the nature of which shall be stated in the summons convening the meeting, and the discussion at such meeting shall be confined to the business stated in the notice sent to members.

The Committee shall call a Special General Meeting upon a written request addressed to the Honorary Secretary by at least 20 members. The Committee shall give twenty-one days’ notice in writing of any such Special General Meeting. The discussion at such meeting shall be confined to the business stated in the notice sent to members.

At every meeting of the River Cruiser Class the Class Captain or, in their absence, the Vice Captain or another committee member present shall preside.

10 members entitled to vote and personally present shall form a quorum at any meeting of the River Cruiser Class.

Only Full Members shall vote at any meeting of the River Cruiser Class. Other members may attend and speak but are not entitled to vote.

Voting at General Meetings will be by show of hands. In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

On any resolution properly put to a meeting of the River Cruiser Class relating to the creation, repeal or amendment of any Rule of the River Cruiser Class such Rule shall not be created, repealed or amended except by a majority vote of at least two-thirds of those present and entitled to vote.

SECTION 7 – LIMITATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

In the execution of their responsibilities under this constitution, Committee members will not be liable for any loss to members or former members or to the assets of the River Cruiser Class by reason of any mistake or omission made in good faith by them or any other officer or member of the Committee or for any other matter other than wilful and individual wrongdoing, omission or fraud on the part of the person who is sought to be made liable.

The River Cruiser Class may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those full members present at a Special General Meeting convened for this purpose. The resolution may include proposals for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the River Cruiser Class, following the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities.

Such assets will not be paid to or distributed among the members, but given or transferred to such other charitable organisations or institutions having objects similar to some or all of those of the River Cruiser Class, as the members may determine.