Club Rules
1. The name of the Club is "The Brancaster Staithe Sailing Club" and the Club flag shall be a Burgee with a dark blue hoist and a red tail with a green ball thereon.
Membership
2. (a) In these Rules except where otherwise specifically stated "Member" shall mean a member of the Club of whatever category and "membership" shall be construed accordingly.
(b) Reference in these Rules to the attainment of a specified age shall mean the attainment of that age before 1st January in the current year.
3. All persons whether the owner of a yacht or boat or not who are interested in sailing and boating activities afloat are eligible for membership:
4. There shall be the following classes of membership:
(a) Full Member
A Full Member shall be entitled to all facilities and full privileges of the Club in accordance with its rules except that a Full Member under the age of 18 may not purchase intoxicating liquor within the Club property.
(b) Associate Member
An Associate Member shall be entitled to the same facilities and privileges as a Full Member except that if under the age of 18 he or she may not be elected as an Officer of the Club or serve as Sailing Secretary or Chairman of any Sub Committee or purchase intoxicating liquor within the Club property.
(c) Brancaster Staithe Special Member
A Brancaster Staithe Special member shall be entitled to the same facilities and privileges as a Full Member.
(d) Honorary Member
An Honorary Member shall be entitled to the same facilities and privileges as a Full Member.
(e) Temporary Member
Persons visiting the locality for short periods. At no time shall the number of Temporary Members exceed 40 adults and 60 children under the age of 18 and participants in Club organised training.
Full details of classes of membership are set out in the Articles of Association Part 3, paragraphs 21 to 24, an extract of which is set out in the Handbook.
5. A candidate for Full or Associate membership (who is not already a Member) shall complete the Club's proposal form setting out his or her name and address and any other particulars the General Committee shall require and containing the signatures of two Members of at least two year's standing in support, as proposer and seconder, and also accompanied by such letters of recommendation as the General Committee may from time to time require. The name and proposed membership category of the applicant shall be prominently displayed in the Club premises for at least two days before the election takes place. A child under 12 with at least one parent who is already a Member need not complete a proposal form. Members seeking to change from one category of membership to another must apply in writing to the Membership Secretary and may only change with the authority of the General Committee.
Persons who are candidates for membership have no privileges whatsoever in relation to the use of the Club or its premises unless, while awaiting election, a candidate for membership has completed and submitted an application form.
6. Election of candidates to membership shall take place at a meeting of the General Committee duly convened for that purpose. A candidate shall be elected to membership where there are at least 80% of those attending and voting on the resolution at the meeting of the General Committee in favour. However, candidates will be excluded if there are 3 or more votes against.
7. (a) Every Member, by joining the Club and thereafter paying the annual subscription, impliedly undertakes to comply with these Rules and the Appendices thereto and the Club's Sailing Instructions and Racing Rules and any refusal or neglect to do so or any conduct which, in the opinion of the General Committee, is either unworthy of a Member or otherwise injurious to the interest of the Club shall render the Member liable to expulsion by the General Committee.
(b) It is condition of membership that every Member shall hold valid insurance covering the Member in respect of liability for damage or injury caused by the Member or any boat of his to other Members or to the public or to boats or property in the sum of at least £5,000,000. Members will be required to undertake to maintain such insurance whilst Members and to produce evidence of insurance if required and shall indemnify the Club in respect of any liability which may result from failure by a Member to comply with this Rule.
(c) Parent and Guardians are warned that the Club is only able to provide rescue facilities to support organised events during the hours of Club racing and during sail training organised by the Club. Outside these times, parents and guardians have sole responsibility for their children and must appreciate that the Club cannot be expected to exercise supervision or control, either on or off water. Even during Club racing or organised sail training, the Club cannot accept responsibility for children, or any other persons, not engaged in such racing or training. Members should check for further safety advice on or in Sailing Instructions and verbal Briefings, Newsletters, the Handbook, and Club notice boards.
Entrance Fee and Subscriptions
8. The Annual subscriptions shall become due to the Club on the 1st January in each year. Any Member who has not paid his subscription by the 1st March shall be requested in the name of the General Committee to pay the same forthwith and if the subscription is not paid by the 30th April his or her name shall be posted on the Notice Board and may be removed from the list of Members by the General Committee. A Member's name may be restored at the discretion of the General Committee.
Boat and Boat Parking Fees
9. (a) Any Member who owns a boat of any description and uses it normally and regularly in Brancaster Harbour shall pay to the Club at the same time as the annual subscription such Boat Fee in respect of each such boat as may from time to time be prescribed by the General Committee.
(b) A Member who regularly keeps a boat on the club premises shall, in addition to the Boat Fee pay such Parking Fees in respect of each such Boat as may from time to time be prescribed by the General Committee.
(c) Notwithstanding the payment of these Fees boats are parked on the club premises entirely at the owner's risk and the Club accepts no responsibility for any loss of or damage to any boat or its equipment howsoever caused.
(d) Except as mentioned below every Member shall pay a Boat Fee in respect of each boat of whatever type owned by him and used normally and regularly in Brancaster Harbour. In the case of boats bona fide owned by more than one person only one Fee shall be paid but all joint owners shall be severally liable for payment of the fee.
(e) Subject to availability of space and the payment of an additional Parking Fee which may be prescribed by the General Committee, the payment of a Boat Fee shall entitle the Member to park a boat on the Club's property between 1st March and 31st October each year.
(f) A Member owning a boat which he habitually keeps on a mooring in Brancaster Harbour which is registered with the National Trust local committee shall not be required to pay a Boat Fee in respect of that boat nor in respect of a tender bona fide kept by the Member for going to and from that boat unless the tender is kept on the Club's property in which case the Member shall pay a Parking Fee for that Tender.
(g) Boats allocated berths within the Club's dinghy parks or anchorages shall pay such Parking Fee as may from time to time be prescribed by the General Committee.
(h) Boats and sailing craft more than 6.1 metres long or more than 2 metres wide kept on or requiring a berth on Club premises shall pay such additional Fee for the extra space occupied as may be prescribed by the General Committee.
(i) No boat may be placed in a berth within the Club parking areas until a berth has been allocated to it. On allocation the owner will be issued with a sticker showing the berth number and year of issue which shall be displayed in a prominent position on the boat at all times. Boats not showing a valid sticker may be removed from the Club premises on the authority of the General Committee.
(j) No boat may be parked in a berth allocated to another boat without the owner's prior consent.
(k) Members are required annually to complete the appropriate form issued by the Club giving such details of boats belonging to Members and Third Party Insurance cover as may be required. No boat berth will be allocated until such a form has been completed and returned to the Secretary and the appropriate fees have been paid.
House Rules
10. (a) Dogs Well-behaved dogs are allowed within the fenced area of the clubhouse boat park on a lead and tethered when unattended. Dogs are not allowed on the balcony or in the clubhouse.
(b) Smoking No smoking is allowed within the fenced clubhouse boat park, on the balcony or in the clubhouse.
Guests and Visitors
11. (a) Guests may be introduced by Members but no person shall be introduced as a guest who has been rejected as a candidate for election as a Member or expelled under the Rules of the Club. The same guest may not be introduced on more than four days in one year during the sailing season. A Member so introducing a guest shall be held responsible for the behaviour, character and status of the guest, being such as will be acceptable to the Members and for his or her observance of the Club's Rules. No guest shall enter the Club premises until introduced by a Member.
(b) Any Member introducing a guest must enter his name and the name and address of the guest in a book kept for the purpose and at no time leave the Club premises, except when sailing, while the guest is thereon.
(c) At the discretion of the General Committee children under the age of 12 may be introduced as guests on more than four days in any year, provided that the parent or guardian of such a child has signed a declaration that the parent or guardian understands the warning contained in sub paragraph 7(c) of these Rules.
12. At the discretion of the General Committee the use of the facilities of the club by non-members may be permitted in the following cases:
(a) Owners and crews of foreign yachts visiting Brancaster Staithe up to seven days.
(b) Visiting yachtsmen arriving by sea who are members of Clubs recognised by the Royal Yachting Association and their crews or guests for a period not exceeding seven days.
(c) Competitors in open events, team races or fixtures organised by the Club for the period commencing 24 hours before the meeting or event and up to 24 hours afterwards.
(d) Young persons under the age of 18, for the purposes of sail training, provided that a parent or guardian of such a person has signed a declaration that the parent or guardian understands the warning contained in sub paragraph 7(c) of these Rules.
(e) Guests of Members who have been introduced to the Secretary or a Member of the General Committee and have been entered by name in the visitor's book.
(f) At functions organised pursuant to these rules.
Management of the Club
13. The affairs of the Club shall be wholly managed by the General Committee according to these Rules and the Articles of Association. Such Committee shall apply the funds of the Club in such manner as complies with the Rules and Articles, and shall make such bye laws, rules and regulations as it thinks fit, as to the management of any Club premises or Club activities provided they do not conflict with the Articles of Association. The Members of the Club may in agreement at a General Meeting propose amendments to the management of the Club's affairs.
Supply of Intoxicating Liquor
14. The Club premises shall be opened and closed at such times as the General Committee may from time to time determine as set out in the handbook each year or otherwise as posted in the Club.
15. Intoxicating liquor may be sold to or for consumption on the premises by those persons over the age of 18 who are Members of the Club or who are entitled to use the facilities of the Club in pursuance of the Rules and Articles of Association during the permitted hours as may be determined from time to time by the General Committee in accordance with the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 (as amended by any subsequent legislation) and as notified to the Magistrate's Clerk. The permitted hours will be posted in the Club.
16. The General Committee shall have power to allow the Club premises to be hired out and used for private functions throughout the year subject to such regulations as shall be made from time to time to regulate and control such use. Provided access to such functions is governed by ticket or invitation which should be limited to private persons or groups of persons to the exclusion of members of the public, then and only in such case, sale of intoxicating liquor by the Club at such functions shall not be in contravention of this rule.
Miscellaneous
17. Members are advised that the Club accepts no responsibility for any loss of or damage to Members' property within the Club premises or to cars, boats, or their contents. Members leaving property within the Club premises or using the car park or boat parks do so entirely at their own risk. Prior application must be made for all boat berth allocations. Any boat occupying a berth not allocated to the owner and any other property left on the Club's premises may be removed there from. Owners may be charged the costs of removing such boats or property.
Trustees
18. The Trustees hold the legal title to the Club's interests in land and buildings. The provisions relating to the Trustees, including their duties and responsibilities, are set out at Article 43 in the Articles of Association.
Extract from the BSSC Articles of Association
PART 3
MEMBERS
BECOMING AND CEASING TO BE A MEMBER
Applications for membership
21. (1) No person shall become a member of the Club unless
(a) that person has completed an application for membership in a form approved by the General Committee, and
(b) the General Committee has approved his application.
(2) The number of members with which the Club proposes to be registered is unlimited, but membership shall be in the absolute discretion of the General Committee.
Termination of membership
22. (1) Membership shall cease:
(a) if the member resigns. Resignations shall be submitted in writing by 21 December of that particular year and shall be accompanied by a remittance in respect of any subscription or other moneys then due from him including the subscription for the current year;
(b) if, at a meeting of the General Committee, of which the member shall have 21 days' notice from the time of posting and at which the member shall be entitled to attend and be heard, the General Committee by a 75% majority resolves that it is not in the interests of the Club that such member remain a member. Such exclusion shall not relieve the ex-member from any existing liability to the Club;
(c) if the member dies or ceases to exist;
(2) Membership is not transferable.
Categories of membership
23. (1) The categories of membership comprising the Club shall be (as further defined in the Rule Book):
(a) Full Member;
(b) Associate Member, being:
(i) the partner of a Full Member;
(ii) the children under 25 of a Full Member and/or their partner;
(iii) grandchildren under 25 of a Full Member and/or their partner (where neither parents are members) where each of the Associate Members in categories (i) to (iii) above is regarded as being part of the family unit of the Full Member;
(iv) persons 18 to 25 whilst in full time education; or
(v) persons attaining the state pension age and whose completed years of membership of the Club total 30 years or more may apply to the General Committee to have their application for Associate Membership considered at the next General Committee meeting with the appropriate Associate Member fee being levied from the next subscription renewal date;
(c) Brancaster Staithe Special Member, being members elected as Brancaster Staithe Special Members prior to 31 December 1978;
(d) Honorary Member, being persons who are elected on recommendation of the General Committee and who may be elected at a General Committee Meeting, provided that at no time shall the number of Honorary Members exceed 2% of the total number of members; and
(e) Temporary Member, being persons visiting the locality for short periods provided that at no time shall the number of Temporary Members exceed 40 in the case of adults and 60 in the case of children under 18 and participants in Club organised training.
(2) All categories of members shall be entitled to the benefits and rights but be subject to the rules and restrictions as set out in the Rule Book.
Subscription
24. (1) All Full Members, Associate Members and Brancaster Staithe Special Members (as further defined at article 23 and in the Rule Book) shall pay such annual subscriptions as the General Committee may from time to time determine.
(2) Subscriptions shall be payable on becoming a member of the Club and subsequently on 1 January in each year.
(3) A member from whom any money which is due to the Club remains unpaid or whose annual subscription remains unpaid after the date on which payment becomes due shall not unless the General Committee determines otherwise, be entitled to exercise any of the privileges or rights of membership until he has paid in full all money due from him to the Club.
Last updated 11:43 on 21 April 2024
