CMAC Constitution
1. Name:
The club shall be called "The Cambridge Model Aircraft Club"
2. Aims:
The aims of the club shall be:
a/ To promote and encourage the construction and safe flying of model aircraft by its members.
b/ To provide a flying site in the Cambridge area and to affiliate to the B.M.F.A. in order to benefit from the membership and communication with a national model flying association.
3. Membership:
There shall be two grades of membership; one for seniors and one for juniors. A junior shall be one who has not reached his/her 18th birthday at the time of joining or at the time of membership renewal.
Membership of the club shall run from the 1st January to the 28th February the following year. Any member wishing to resign shall give the Membership Secretary one calendar month notice.
4. B.M.F.A. Membership:
Each member (including the committee members) shall be a full member of the "British Model Flying Association" (B.M.F.A.)
5. Associate Members:
Associate membership will apply to members who obtain B.M.F.A. insurance cover independently of the club. An associate member must produce proof of insurance to the satisfaction of the Membership Secretary.
6. Honorary Members:
At the discretion of the committee, Honorary Membership may be awarded to members who have given distinguished service to the club. Such honorary membership shall be valid for one year only but it may be renewed by the committee.
7. Limitation of Members:
The committee shall be empowered to set a limit on the number of members at any time.
8. Subscriptions:
Subscriptions will be paid annually by all members including Committee Members but excepting Honorary Members. Subscriptions will fall due after each Annual General Meeting. The level of subscriptions will be determined by participants of the Annual General Meeting.
Subscriptions are payable from the 1st of January each year, a re-joining fee will become due if the renewal fee is not received by 28th February. A member who has not renewed his/her subscription by the 1st March is no longer insured and must not fly. If still not renewed after 30th May he/she ceases to be a member of the club.
9.Committee:
An Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. This committee shall conduct the business of the club and determine Club policy from time to time. The committee shall consist of the following members.
a/ Chairman:
To preside at all meetings and to keep order. To give a casting vote if required.
b/ Secretary:
To be responsible for the day-to-day running of the Club. To negotiate with local or other authorities on the Club's behalf. To be the Club spokesman. To record the proceedings of meetings and to convene General Meetings and Committee Meetings. To represent the club at B.M.F.A. area and national meetings where possible.
c/ Treasurer:
To be responsible for and accountable for the management of the Club funds. To collect all monies due to the Club and to pay the Club's debts. To produce an audited account of the Club's finances at each Annual General Meeting or at the request of the Committee. Two club members will be elected by the Club prior to the Annual General Meeting for the purpose of auditing the accounts. The Club financial year will run from the 1st October to the 30th September in order to have audited accounts available for the AGM. The Club is to hold it's own separate bank account.
d/ Membership Secretary:
To keep records of Club members and collect membership fees due to the Club and the B.M.F.A.
e/ Public Relations Officer:
To maintain the club website and to produce news items and photographs for inclusion in the website pages. To produce flyers/leaflets for distribution at events. To produce an internal club newsletter when necessary. To deal with public relations issues.
f/ Competition Secretary
To organise contests, both within the club and with other clubs. To keep account of club trophies, arrange trophy presentations and provide trophies to be retained by contest winners. To record the results of all competitions.
g/ Display Secretary:
To organise public displays both flying and static. To ensure safety standards according to B.M.F.A. guidelines are enforced at any flying display.
The Committee shall be empowered to co-opt additional Committee Members as required. In the interest of efficient running of the Club, any of the Committee posts may be combined.
10. Meetings:
The Club shall meet at a frequency as determined by the Club. The Committee shall meet as required on occasions as determined by any member of the Committee. The Annual General Meeting will be held at a suitable time towards the end of the year. The formal business conducted by the AGM shall be limited to the passing of accounts, the election of officers, the election of account auditors and any business which the committee may insert in the notice convening the meeting. Other matters may only be discussed at such a meeting if notice thereof has been given to the Secretary in writing at least 14 days previously. All members will receive notice of the AGM at least 30 days prior to the meeting taking place.
11. Extraordinary General Meeting:
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee or a quorum of 15 current members of "senior" status. The business to be transacted must be stated in the notice sent to members and discussion at the meeting confined solely to such business. All members will receive notice of an EGM at least 14 days prior to the meeting taking place. A resolution will be passed at an AGM or EGM on a majority vote of "senior" club members present at that meeting.
12. Insurance:
Third party insurance against flying risks shall be mandatory for each member. The club shall arrange for individual third party cover through the B.M.F.A., unless it is organised through the B.M.F.A. independently.
13. Rules:
The Committee shall issue such rules as are required, specifically rules governing the use of the flying sites' including safety aspects. These rules shall be issued to each member. Acceptance of membership automatically contracts a member to obey the rules of the Club. Any breach of the rules by a member or any conduct, which in the opinion of the Committee is unworthy of a member, or injurious to the interests of the club, may be considered by the Committee and the offender required to offer an explanation in writing. The Committee may, if necessary, withdraw membership from an offender after allowing the opportunity of resignation.
14. Club Property:
All property purchased by the club shall be recorded in the club property book and safeguarded by a member of the Committee - normally the secretary.
The Committee shall be empowered to spend a sum of money as defined at each AGM on behalf of the Club, without further authorisation by the Club members.
15. Welfare of Children and Vulnerable Adults.
Children under the age of 18 years MUST be accompanied by a parent, guardian or, for instance, someone who has written authority to bring the child on to the flying site and supervise them.
Junior members under the age of 14 years shall not start an engine or carry a model with the engine running unless they are supervised by a responsible adult.
No senior member is to be expected to assume responsibility for a child or a vulnerable adult unless he/she has been specifically requested to do so by the parent, guardian or carer. If required to do so, he/she is to assume complete and total responsibility for the child or vulnerable adult whilst he/she is in their charge.
The Club to include the following statement in the Clubs membership form to ensure that the parent, guardian or carer of a child or vulnerable adult also agrees to abide by club policy:
Children under the age of 18 years MUST be accompanied by a parent, guardian of, for instance, someone who has written authority to bring the child on to the flying site and supervise them.
This membership form must be countersigned if the applicant is under 18 years of age or by the authorised carer of a vulnerable adult, thereby signifying acceptance of the conditions of membership.
Eric Miller
Chairman
Cambridge Model Aircraft Club
(Affiliated to the British Model Flying Association)