Club Rules | reliantownersclub.org

RELIANT OWNERS CLUB RULES updated March 2010

NAME AND CONSTITUTION: The name of the Club shall be 'RELIANT OWNERS CLUB' and it shall be composed of Regional Branches, which, while separate entities (to all and each of which these rules shall apply) shall be affiliated to the National Committee of the Club, as hereafter defined.

OBJECTS: The objects of the Club shall be:

To foster friendship between owners of Reliants.
To promote social intercourse and to assist one another when occasions arise.
To contact owners of Reliants not members of the Club and ensure they are aware of its activities.
To receive from all sources information of benefit to Reliant owners and transmit this information to all members.

MEMBERSHIP: Membership of any Branch of the Club shall be open to any person who qualifies as follows:

a. Full Membership: Owners of Reliants; part owners to count as separate owners for membership purposes. Members who change their make of vehicle, providing they have unbroken membership, can continue to hold full membership of the Club.
b. Associate Membership: can be anyone over the age of 17 years and do not necessarily have to own means of transport. Associate Members are not allowed to hold executive office in the Branch or serve on the National Committee, but after five consecutive years, Associate Members will be made Full Members and can hold office in the Branch and serve on the National Committee.
Honorary Membership: Ladies and Gentlemen nominated by the National Executive or Branches for service rendered to the Club.
Family Membership: Partners and children up to the age of being eligible to drive a Reliant are covered by the membership listed above and are entitled to share in Club activities. Upon reaching the age of eligibility to drive a car (whether or not they do so) they can continue same class of membership on payment of membership fee.
e. Membership of any Branch of the Reliant Owners Club confers the right of members to participate in any functions of all Branches of the Club.
Should the Committee of a Branch consider that a person would not be a suitable member, their application may be refused.
Once a member has been accepted they shall not forfeit such membership unless either:

i) they fail to pay their subscription as in Rule 4,
ii) the committee of their Branch so decided by a two-thirds majority of those voting.
Any member who wilfully breaks the rules of the Club, or whose conduct is prejudicial to the Club, can be asked to explain their behaviour to a committee meeting of their Branch. the Branch Committee on a two-thirds majority decision of those voting, may suspend any member for a period of not more than three months. Anyone thus suspended may not hold office on any committee for three years.
Members affected by Rules 3g or 3h above may appeal to the National Committee whose decision will be final.

ENTRY FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Entry fee and subscription fee to any class of membership shall be such as the National Committee decides from time to time.
All subscriptions other than the first subscription paid on joining the Club shall be due on 1st April each year.
Any member being one month in arrears with their subscription, and failing to respond to a second application from the treasurer automatically ceases to be a member.
The first subscription shall be effective from the date of application and shall expire on the last day of the month that they joined twelve months later. Members shall be requested on the 31st March to subscribe pro-rata for the months remaining after the expiration of their first subscription to the 31st march of the following year. Should they fail to do so, their membership shall be retained until the expiration of their first subscription, when a reminder shall be sent requesting pro-rata payment for the remainder of the Club year (to 31st. March) with the same provision as Rule 4c.

TRANSFERS:

Members wishing to transfer to another Branch should in writing inform the secretary of the Branch to which they wish to transfer. The secretary will then contact the previous Branch requesting transfer of subscription pro rate.
Payment pro-rata of the annual subscription for each complete month for the remainder of the financial year must then be made by the member's previous Branch commencing from the first of the next month from the date of the application.
Should the transferring member's annual subscription expire before the end of the financial year, payment shall be made for each complete month remaining of the member's subscription.

BRANCHES:

The minimum number of members required for the formation of a Branch shall be three with recommended minimum of four others.
The officers of all Branches shall be: Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Partners of full members are allowed to be nominated for these positions.
The Branch committee shall consist of the officers as above, and recommended minimum of at least four addition members; others may be co-opted at the discretion of the committee.
Officers other than the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary shall be nominated by the committee from its members.
The election of officers and committee shall be made by vote taken at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch. Members of the committee may hold office for one year and shall then be eligible for re-election.
Nominations for election to the committee should be received by the secretary at a time to be decided by the committee before the Annual General Meeting with an indication in writing that the members nominated are willing to serve. Nominations

should be signed by the proposer. Nominations may also be received from the floor at the Annual General Meeting.

The Chair shall not have voting power, except that the Chair shall have a casting vote.
The Chair shall have the power to call a meeting of the committee at any time; the cost of such meetings and approved expenses to be charged to Branch funds.
Three members of the committee shall form a quorum.
Any committee member failing to attend three consecutive meetings without a valid reason may be expelled from the committee.
The secretary shall be responsible for keeping a true record of all meetings.

BRANCH FINANCES:

All Branches shall be financially independent.
The funds and assets of the Branches shall be used at the discretion of the committee of the Branch and for the general benefit of its members.
The National Committee will receive from all Branches a fixed amount for each member that the Branch has on its membership list issued August of each year; honorary members included. The amount to be fixed from time to time as decided by the National Committee and to be paid to the National Treasurer by August each year.
All funds of Branches shall be deposited with such banks as the committee of each branch shall decide. All cheques for the withdrawal of Branch funds must be signed by two persons not related, one of whom should be the treasurer, and the other holding office of Chair or Secretary, Trustee or other member nominated by the committee. The treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all monies received and expended. They shall produce their accounts, pass book and statements to the Chair on demand and at the A.G.M.
The financial year shall end on or as near as possible to 31st March of each year. An audited statement of account shall be presented to all Branch members.
Any five Branch members may request the National Executive to have their own Branch books examined. The members making this request must inform their Branch secretary of the request.
A full membership list must be sent to the membership secretary by February of membership year (31st March to 31st March). Branches failing to do this will be given until February of the following year before closing down proceedings are put in hand by the National Executive. This would take place after efforts to contact the last known Branch officials.

BRANCH MEETINGS:

At any general meeting members shall have one vote per membership card upon attaining age of 16 years. Partners of members serving on Branch committees shall be entitled to vote whilst serving on the committee. Members may vote by post as directed in such a manner as the committee decides to allow.
Should members desire a matter brought up at a general meeting the text of such matter signed by at least two members shall be sent to the secretary at least seven clear days before the date of the meeting so that it may be included on the agenda. Any business not on the agenda shall not be discussed at such meeting except that 'Any Other Business' may be transacted at the Annual General Meeting.
Five members of a Branch may call an Extraordinary General Meeting provided they give six weeks’ notice in writing to the secretary of the Branch.

DISSOLUTIONS:

Any Branch of the Club may be dissolved providing the following procedure is carried out.
In the event of a Branch wishing to be dissolved the National Secretary must first be notified that a Special General meeting is to be called for the dissolution of the Branch.
The meeting must not be earlier than 4 weeks from the date of notification to the National Secretary.
The National Executive will then arrange for two representatives to attend the meeting.
The Branch at the Special General Meeting shall appoint two Trustees if not already appointed for the sale and disposal of any saleable property of the Branch plus any remaining Branch funds.
Any capital realisation as shall be gathered herefrom shall be used by the Trustees to pay any debts owed by the Branch and any surplus capital thereafter shall be paid into the National funds.
All details appertaining to the financial, minute and membership books, along with the badges etc. and all items not saleable but the property of the Branch must be handed over to the National Committee representatives upon final dissolution.
Members of the Branch who wish to transfer to another Branch may transfer to any Branch of their choice with consideration of Rule 3f.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE:

All Branches of the Club shall be affiliated to the National Committee which shall be responsible for dealing with all matters of national character not being matters particular to any one Branch and shall have no power to take part in the management of any Branch, this being the sole responsibility of each Branch.
The National Committee shall comprise two members from each Branch, with one vote per attending representative.
The members of the National Committee shall be elected by each Branch from their own members, in addition the Chair of each Branch shall automatically be an ex-officio member of the National Committee without voting power. Substitutes are allowed for Branch reps, but no substitute is allowed for actual Branch Chair.
The National Committee shall from its own members elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, (who together shall form the National Executive), Badges Secretary, Minutes Secretary and such additional officers as they consider necessary for the efficient running of the Club.
The National Committee shall meet as often as the committee decides it is necessary and in any case not less than twice in every financial year. Any item put on the National Committee agenda that is voted on and does not get a majority, cannot be put on the agenda again for three years, with the exception of anything pertaining to finance.
Members of the National Committee shall hold office for not more than three years and shall then be eligible for re-election.
When a Branch representative is elected to the National Executive or other National Office, the Branch shall be required to appoint a further representative on accordance with Rule 3b.
h. One-third of Branches must be represented to form a quorum for the purposes of holding a meeting.
All members of the Executive and other Officers to have a vote, other than the National Chair, who shall have a casting vote in all instances.
Branches over 150 miles distant whose representatives are unable to attend a National Committee meeting may vote by proxy. (one vote per absent branch) A sealed envelope should be sent to the National Secretary setting out instructions. This will be handed to a member selected at the meeting to act as proxy.
In the event of a dispute between Branches or members, the decision of the National Committee shall be final.
All National Committee members are empowered to attend any Branch Committee meeting as observers.
All Branches shall be insured under Public Liability Insurance. The policy shall be held as directed by the National Committee.
The National Committee may make a grant to a new Branch at the time of its inaugural meeting.

OBSERVANCE & INTERPRETATION OF RULES:

The rules shall not be altered or amended except at a National Committee meeting and only then with a two-thirds majority of the National Committee members voting.
Every member binds themselves to abide by the rules of the Club and also any modification thereof made in conformity with such rules and also accepts as final and binding the decision of the National Committee in all cases of dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of the rules.
Every member must be provided with an up-to-date copy of the rules and all amendments.