CONSTITUTION OF THE DEVON YAWL ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION OF THE DEVON YAWL ASSOCIATION

  • NAME: The name of the Association shall be the Devon Yawl Association.

 

  • STATUS: The Association shall be a member’s Association and shall consist of those classes of members specified in rule 4 below.

 

  • OBJECT: The objective of the Association is to encourage sailing Devon Yawls and Devon Dayboats and to co-ordinate the efforts of members in organising cruising, rallies and races for the mutual benefit of members.

 

  • MEMBERSHIP: Full membership shall be open to all owners, co-owners and prospective owners of Devon Yawls and Devon Dayboats, and other persons wishing to support the class, such membership to include spouses and children up to the age of 21.

 

Honorary membership may be granted to persons approved by a two third majority of votes at an Annual General Meeting, having been proposed and seconded, and their nomination having been promulgated in the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting. Honorary members shall not be entitled to vote at any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Voting at General Meetings will be on the basis of one vote per boat.

 

  • MANAGEMENT: The Officers of the Association, who form the Executive Committee, shall consist of the Commodore, the Vice Commodore, the Hon Secretary, The Hon Treasurer and the Hon Editor of the Association Newsletter and Website.

 

The Officers shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting by simple majority. There may be a Fleet Captain in each of the Regional areas who will be responsible for organising local events. They will be elected annually by the members of the regions concerned. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members when required.

 

The members of the Executive Committee shall not be held responsible for any act or omission resulting in injury to members or loss or damage to member’s property whilst participating in any event organised by the Executive Committee.

 

Nominations for the Executive Committee shall be sought by the Hon Secretary with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting, or advised by the Hon Secretary prior to issuing the Notice. All such nominations to be received in writing by the Hon Secretary not less than 14 days before the Annual General Meeting duly proposed and seconded. All nominees shall have agreed to stand for election.

 

  • SUBSCRIPTIONS: The annual subscription shall be determined each year at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Executive Committee supported by a provisional budget for the forthcoming year and circulated with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting.

 

A two-thirds majority of votes attending the Annual General Meeting shall be required to approve any change in the annual subscription.

 

The approved subscription shall be paid on 1st May each year at the rate approved at the Annual General Meeting. Any members who have not paid their subscription within 4 months of being notified of the change shall be deemed to have resigned.

 

New members joining in the last four months of the subscription year shall be deemed to be paid up for the following subscription year.

 

  • ACCOUNTS: The Hon Treasurer is authorised to open an account or accounts in the name of the Association. The accounts shall be verified annually to the 31st October by a person who is not a member of the Executive Committee and a copy of the verified accounts shall be circulated with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting.

 

The Association’s accounts shall not become overdrawn nor shall the Association borrow any monies except after approval of a two-thirds majority at an Annual General Meeting, such proposal having been circulated in the Agenda.

 

In the event of the dissolution of the Association all funds and assets shall be realised, and after paying all due debts of the Association the balance shall be donated to the Royal National Lifeboats Institution.

 

  • MEETING: An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year not more than fifteen months after the previous Annual General Meeting. Extraordinary General Meetings may be held if it is deemed to be necessary by a majority of the Executive Committee to decided more urgent matters than will wait until the next Annual General Meeting.

 

The time and place of the Annual general Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be decided by the Executive Committee, who must give members not less than one month’s notice in writing. Such Notice shall include an agenda, list of motions proposed and, if an Annual General Meeting, a copy of the verified accounts and requests for nominations for election to the Executive Committee.

 

Notice of an Annual General meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be deemed to have been served if it is sent by post or e-mail to the last address notified by the member to the Hon Secretary.

 

A quorum for all Annual General Meetings or Extraordinary General Meetings shall be 10 votes.

 

All motions to be considered at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall have been submitted in writing to the Hon Secretary in sufficient time for them to be circulated with the Notice convening the meeting.

 

The Executive Committee shall meet as necessary at a time and place agreed by the Executive Committee on reasonable notice being given by the Hon Secretary.

 

Other Meetings and rallies may be held at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

  • GENERAL: All members on joining the Association shall receive a copy of the Constitution and Class Rules, all amendments to these shall be notified to members in the minutes of the Annual General Meeting. All members and shall receive copies of the Association Newsletter.

 

The Association shall be affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association.

 

  • ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION: The Constitution and Class Rules shall remain in force and shall not be altered except by a two-thirds majority vote at the Annual General Meeting.

 

Approved  AGM 17 February 1990

Amended  AGM 20 February 1993

Amended  AGM 7 February 2009

Amended  AGM 13 February 2010

Amended AGM 16 February 2019