Constitution & Rules

1.   The name of the Club is THAMES SCOUT CRUISING CLUB (TSCC).

2.    The Club is recognised by the Scout Association, as a Scout Active Support Unit and is open mainly to past and current Members and Associate members of the Scout Association or Girl GuidingUK, who cruise (or have cruised) the River Thames in powered boats capable of providing overnight accommodation.

3.  The objectives of the Club are: Raising charitable funds for the benefit of Scouting; “Fellowship Afloat”; to encourage and foster motor cruising on the River Thames mainly by adults who are or have been in Scouting and Guiding along with their family members who are partners / crew; social interaction amongst members and to give occasional support to scouting events and activities. Although it is desirable that all members of the TSCC belong to the Scout Association or Girl Guiding UK, there is no obligation upon them to do so.

4.  The Club Logo is the Scout Arrowhead Badge in white surrounded by a white ring representing a Life Belt. The words “THAMES SCOUT CRUISING CLUB” are in white around the outside of the ring. The background is the Scout Association colour PMS 269. The Club Burgee, Flag, Tie, Ladies Scarf etc and headed paper shall contain the Logo.

RULES

1.   Members of the Trefoil Guild (Girl Guiding UK) are not required to separately join Scout Active Support.

2.   Only one person per TSCC membership subscription paid will be entitled to vote at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Other adult Family members of a Member of the TSCC may obtain full membership privileges subject to: completion of a Family Membership: Partner / Crew Application Form; acceptance by the Committee; and payment of the Family Membership fee which is 25% of the TSCC membership subscription.

3. The Club shall elect a Committee each year from its membership comprising:

Five officers viz.

Chairperson,

Honorary Secretary,

Honorary Treasurer,

Honorary Membership Secretary,

Media Officer

Plus: Six Committee Members.

(The Committee may co-opt any member as and when required.)

4.    The three principal officers i.e. Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer must be members of the Scout Association or Girl Guiding UK. The other officers and those serving on the committee, although preferable, need not necessarily be members of the Scout Association or Girl Guiding UK.

5.   The main purpose of the Committee is to produce a programme of events for the members, and to ensure that the Club is run in accordance with its Constitution & Rules, and within the spirit of the Policy Organisation and Rules (PORs) of the Scout Association. At a duly called meeting, three Committee Members plus two Officers constitute a quorum.

6.   All applications for Membership shall be considered for approval by the Committee. All members must pay an annual TSCC membership subscription due on the 1st April. Subscriptions are non-refundable. If a subscription is unpaid the member will be deemed to have resigned from the Club.

7.    Members, who are boat owners, are required to confirm on their application form, and/or at renewal of membership each year that they hold third party liability insurance cover related to their boat for a minimum amount of £3,000,000.

8.     An AGM shall be held within the first two months of every year, when the properly examined statement of accounts made up to the previous 31st December shall be submitted. The Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Membership Secretary, Media Officer and Six Committee Members shall be elected, and the Honorary Accounts examiner appointed. TSCC Membership subscriptions shall be determined at the AGM.

9.    Notice of the AGM or an EGM shall be sent to each TSCC Member at least two months before the meeting. The Chairman may agree to a shorter period of notice for an EGM, but never less than four weeks. Nominations and Motions for the AGM must be received 30 days before the AGM and will be circulated to the whole membership two weeks before the meeting. Each TSCC Member at an AGM or EGM has one vote, and will be entitled to attend and speak. Postal voting is allowed subject to provided forms, indicating a Member’s voting intention, being returned to the Honorary Secretary by the closing date specified on the form.

10.    The Committee may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of members at any time for the transaction of business specified in the Notice convening the Meeting, and NO OTHER business shall be decided upon. An Extraordinary General Meeting will also be convened by the Committee, at the written request of not less than TWELVE members of the Club stating the subject to be submitted for consideration.

11.     Any change in the Constitution and/or Rules must be agreed at the AGM or an EGM, by a two-thirds majority of those voting. Any fractional number will be rounded up. Except as provided here and in Rule 15, all other motions shall be decided by a simple majority. In cases of equality of votes, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

12.   The Club may appoint representatives to attend meetings of other organisations as deemed suitable by the Committee.

13.   Members will be informed of the Club’s activities by way of the Club Newsletter, the dedicated web site:

www.thamesscoutcruisingclub.org.uk 

e-mail or letter. The Media Officer will ensure that the Newsletter is produced and circulated.   (N.B. only one Newsletter per household will be sent by post.)

14.   All monies of the Club shall be paid into an account at a bank or building society approved by the Committee. Any two of four authorised members of the Committee must sign all cheques.

15. The Club can only be dissolved by a majority of at least two thirds of its membership voting at an EGM called for the purpose. If the Club were dissolved, its net assets shall be realised and after its liabilities discharged, allocated in equal shares to the credit of members, pro rata to the percentage of the full annual subscription fee paid by them, or on their behalf, during the year the Club is dissolved. Individual member’s share of the winding-up proceeds will be sent to a scout / guide related project or charity of their choice.

16.  The Honorary Membership Secretary will maintain a register of “Friends of TSCC” who will receive the Club newsletter and other general correspondence. They may attend Club events but will not be members and will not have voting rights at TSCC meetings. Inclusion in the register of “Friends of TSCC” is by invitation of the Committee.

(Revised Constitution & Rules, amended at AGM 8th January 2012)