1

Title

a

The club shall be known as 'Saddleworth Sub-Aqua Club'.

2

Objects of the club

a

The objects of the club shall be to encourage all forms of sports diving as governed by the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC).This will include the provision of training and the organisation of events to enable the safe participation in the sport.

b

The club is fully affiliated to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) - Registration number 1168.

3

Management

a

The Club will be managed by a Committee.

The Committee will consist of the Officers of the Club plus a maximum of four  elected additional Members, save that in exceptional circumstances a further  additional Member  may be co-opted by the Committee.

b

The officers of the club shall be as follows:

• The Chair
• The Diving Officer
• The Secretary
• The Treasurer

c

Allocation of the posts of individual Committee Members will be agreed by the  Committee. These posts may include; Training Officer;  Equipment Officer  and Social Secretary. Other posts may be introduced by the Committee as deemed appropriate by the Committee.

d

The quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be four, always including  either the Chair or  the Secretary.

e

A committee member may resign, by written notification to the Club Secretary, at any time during their year of office. Should this occur, the Club Secretary shall immediately call an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held within four weeks of the receipt of written resignation, in order to elect a club member to fill the vacant position.

f

A minimum of four committee meetings per year will be held.

g

Minutes taken at a committee meeting shall be made available to any member who applies, in writing, to the Club Secretary.

h

Members of the club may attend committee meetings (unless otherwise stated) as a spectator only.

i

The management of the committee shall be vested in the committee.

j

No person who has been a member of the club for less than 6 months shall be eligible to stand for election to the committee.

k.

The Chair of a Committee Meeting shall have a second or casting vote if the  votes on a particular resolution are tied.

4

Membership

a

No person shall be admitted to membership of the club until they have been accepted by the committee and all subscriptions due have been paid in full. Until acceptance by the committee, the applicant shall consider themselves a visitor for a maximum of six weeks.

b

Any member whose subscription falls more than six weeks in arrears shall consider their membership terminated. Prior to this, the member concerned will have been given a written reminder reiterating this point.

c

BSAC or any other recognised Sub-Aqua qualification may be accepted at the discretion of the Diving Officer, subject to the conditions prescribed in the BSAC Statement of Alternative Training.

d

All diving members must hold the appropriate membership of the BSAC.

e

All diving members must adhere to the standards of conduct as prescribed in the BSAC Divers Code of Conduct.

f

The committee shall have the power to limit membership.

g

Child/Vulnerable Adult Clause

1. Members applying for new or renewed membership of the Branch (in any/all of the capacities listed below) will be required to give their permission for their criminal record to be checked through the Criminal Records Bureau.

• All Instructors who will have direct contact with young people or vulnerable adults.  (Those who have attended the ITC/IFC and wish to act as instructors within the branch).
• All Dive Managers who will have direct contact with young people or vulnerable adults.
• Any other position as decided by the committee following discussion with BSAC Welfare Officer or BSAC HQ Membership Services and agreed by vote of the membership at a General Meeting of the Branch.

2. Original results will be sent to the member in question. A copy will be sent to the BSAC Welfare Officer, or other nominated person, who will then provide a "yes/no" answer to the question:

“The applicant will have significant contact with children and vulnerable adults. Is there anything within this person’s criminal record that suggests that they are not suitable for BSAC membership?”

3. No other correspondence on this issue will be entered into.

4. These clauses (4g i, ii, iii and iv) shall be subject to annual reacceptance by vote of members present at each Annual General Meeting of the Branch.

5

Subscriptions

a

The rate of subscription, plus any additional charges or joining fees, will be prescribed for the following year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The rate of subscription may be amended in the interim at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Current rates of subscription are available from the Club Secretary and/or the Club Treasurer.

6

Elections

a

All members of the committee will be elected at the AGM and will remain in office until the next AGM following their election.

b

All members of the committee will be eligible for re-election.

c

Any member of the committee may be returned to the position held on the committee, if the position is not held in contention.

d

All members of the club shall be entitled to vote for each position on the committee.

e

Voting will be in two parts - Executive and Ordinary committee members. Any member standing for an Executive position opposed by one or more members, will be voted on to the committee by ballot. A simple majority is required for a  member to win that position. The unsuccessful member shall remain eligible for election to the post of Ordinary Committee member.

f

Proxy votes may be made in writing by any member unable to attend the General Meeting. The proxy vote must be received by the Club Secretary prior to the commencement of the meeting. The Club Secretary will cast any proxy votes received.

7

General Meetings

a

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held once a year, normally within four weeks of the club year-end. The club year-end shall be the 31st December.

b

Written notice of the time and place of the AGM shall be given to all members at least four weeks in advance.

c

All notices of nomination to the committee, and items for inclusion in the agenda, shall be made in writing to the Club Secretary, no later than seven days prior to the date of the AGM.

d

All nominations for the committee shall be proposed and seconded by members of the club. Nominations may indicate a committee position to be held.

e

The outgoing Chairman shall chair the meeting and appoint two scrutineers to count the votes cast.

f

The business of the AGM shall be:

1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the last AGM
3. The Chairman’s Report
4. The Diving Officer’s Report
5. The Treasurer’s Report, including an audited account, balance sheet and income account.
6. Election of the committee for the following year
7. Any other business.  

g

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called at any time during the year.

h

An EGM may be called by the committee if they consider it justified.

i

An EGM will be called in the event of the written resignation of a member of the committee.

j

An EGM may also be called by the written application to the Club Secretary by the proposer and seconded by at least five other club members.

8

Complaints

a

Any member of the club not satisfied with a particular aspect of the management of the club, or with a complaint of any sort, shall put the complaint to the Club Secretary for discussion at the next committee meeting.

b

If the complainant is dissatisfied with the reply, they may demand an EGM by delivering a letter of complaint, signed by him/herself and five other members of the club, to the Club Secretary.

c

On the receipt of such a letter, the Club Secretary shall call an EGM at the earliest opportunity to discuss the complaint only.

9

Rules - Amendments & Interpretation

a

These rules may be repealed, amended or replaced by resolution at any Annual General Meeting provided that such a resolution is carried by a majority of not less than two thirds of the members present at such a meeting (including any proxy votes).

10

Club Assets - Use &Control

a

Club assets are owned equally by all club members.

b

A set of club-owned SCUBA equipment may be loaned to a member for the period of training up to BSAC Sports Diver level, subject to the following conditions:

1. Members allocated loan equipment must take reasonable care of the equipment and ensure that the equipment is subject to normal aftercare as necessary.
2. Air refills are obtained and paid for by the member.
3. Loan equipment must be checked by the member prior to use. The club does not accept liability for any equipment malfunction.
4. The equipment must be returned to the equipment officer on cessation of training or when requested by the equipment officer.

c

Separate rules governing the use of the club boat have been published, and members wishing to use the boat must agree to these rules prior to the boat being taken.

11

Diving Practise

a

Members shall dive in adherence to the published standards as laid down by the BSAC 'Safe Diving Practises' booklet. Copies of this booklet are available from the BSAC.

b

Members undertaking diving activities within the club shall follow any direction given by the Club Diving Officer and/or any authorised Dive Manager.

12

Junior Membership

a

Age 12-13

Open only to children of full diving members of Saddleworth Sub-Aqua Club, on passing a swimming assessment directly supervised by a parent/guardian and a SSAC instructor.

b

May swim and snorkel in the pool only if fully supervised, in water, by a parent/guardian who holds a minimum diving qualification of BSAC Sports Diver (or equivalent).

c

May use SCUBA equipment in the pool if already qualified to do so, but only if fully supervised, in water, by a parent/guardian who holds a minimum diving qualification of BSAC Sports Diver (or equivalent).

d

Will not be eligible for training with SSAC.

e

Will not be eligible to participate in the open water activities of SSAC, but can attend if under supervision of a parent/guardian at all times.

f

Age 14-17

Open to all, provided they are accompanied by a parent/guardian on all SSAC activities, and on completion of a swimming assessment directly supervised by a parent/guardian and a SSAC instructor.

g

Will be considered for SCUBA training within SSAC on an individual basis at the discretion of the club committee.

13

Financial Organisation of Dive Trips

a

A non refundable deposit, amount to be determined by the trip organiser, will be payable on booking.

b

The balance for the trip to be paid, in full, 4 weeks prior to the date of the trip.

c

A single flat rate daily charge to be made for club RIB trips.  Amount to be determined by the Committee from time to time.

14

Dissolution / Charitable Clause

a

The Branch may not be dissolved except pursuant to a vote taken at a General Meeting, provided however, that dissolution may be put to a vote at an Annual General Meeting only if it appears on an agenda for that meeting circulated to all members along with notice of that meeting as required under Club Rule 7b.

b

A proposal to dissolve the branch shall be subject to ballot and in order to be carried must receive the affirmative votes of two–thirds of the voting members of the branch who are present at that meeting.

c

If dissolution of the branch is voted in accordance with the preceding provisions of this bye law the committee shall proceed without delay to realise the property of the Branch and to discharge the Branch’s outstanding liabilities. Any net assets thereafter remaining shall be distributed to such recipient or recipients and in such a fashion as the meeting shall have decided.

d

If the Branch has acquired assets in part or in full from Agencies such as Lottery Sports Fund for Sports and the Arts or Sport England, those agencies shall be informed of the proposed dissolution. They have a right to recover a proportion of the current value of the assets and/or advise on their disposal – perhaps to another worthy user.