Merchistonian Club Constitution and Rules

Name:
1. The Club shall be called "The Merchistonian Club", and shall consist of Life Members, Honorary Members, and Associate Members.

Life Members:
2. The following shall be eligible for Life Membership:

a) Those who have been pupils at Merchiston Castle School for a period of not less than one year and are not under sixteen years of age.

b) Members of Staff who have served not less than five years at Merchiston Castle School .

Honorary Members:

3. All past and present Headmasters of Merchiston Castle School shall be Honorary Members. Others may be admitted as Honorary Members, provided their names have been submitted to an Annual General Meeting and approved thereat.

Associate Members:

4. Members of the teaching Staff at Merchiston Castle School shall be admitted as Associate Members while serving on the Staff, and until such time as they become Life Members under Rule 2(b) when they shall not be required to pay any subscription.

Membership:

5. Those eligible under Rule 2(a) will automatically become Life Members on payment of such subscriptions as shall be due.

Refusal of Membership:

6. The Committee shall have the right to refuse to admit as a Member any person, and they shall not be required to give any reason for such a refusal.

Subscriptions:

7. The subscription for Life Members shall be such a sum as shall be recommended from time to time by the Committee and at an Annual General Meeting and approved thereat.

Honorary Members shall not be required to pay any subscription. They shall not be entitled to vote but they shall have all the other rights and privileges of Life Members.

Associate Members shall not be required to pay any subscription. They shall not be entitled to wear the Club Colours, nor to vote, nor to hold office, but they shall have all the other rights and privileges of Life Members.

Retiral, Suspension or Expulsion of Members:

8. A Member may resign their Membership at any time. The Committee shall have power to suspend or expel from the Club any Member whose conduct has, in their opinion, been either ungentlemanly or injurious to the interests of the Club.

Office Bearers and Committee:

9. The following Office-Bearers, who shall be Members of the Club, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting:

a) President; b) Two Vice-Presidents; c) Secretary/Treasurer

They shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election, save that (a) no Member may hold the office of President for more than two successive years, and (b) no Member may hold the office of Vice-President for more than four successive years (a year meaning, for this purpose the period between two Annual General Meetings).

The retiring President shall ex officio be a member of the Committee for the two years succeeding his retirement.

The Chairman of the Governors of Merchiston Castle School shall ex officio be a member of the Committee.

The Offices of the Secretary and Treasurer may be combined. The Office-Bearers, together with the District Secretaries as hereinafter provided, shall form a Committee, any three of whom shall form a quorum .

The Committee shall have the right to fill any vacancy or vacancies during the year amongst the Office-Bearers or District Secretaries or Overseas Secretaries and anyone so elected shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

District Secretaries:

10. The District Secretaries who shall be Members of the Club, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, or by the Committee as provided in Rule 9, and there shall be elected - one for each of the following areas :-

a) North of Scotland; b) Edinburgh and Lothians; c) Fife and Tayside; d) Glasgow and West of Scotland; e) South West Scotland; f) The Borders; g) The North of England; h) The Midlands; i) London and the South of England; j) Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; k) Wales

Sports Secretaries:

11. There shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, in addition to the Office-Bearers and District Secretaries, Honorary Secretaries for rugby football, cricket, golf, shooting, and any other activity which may from time to time be approved by the Committee. Those appointed to fill these offices shall not ex officio be members of the Committee. They shall hold office for three years, but shall be eligible for re-election. Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled by the Committee, and anyone so elected shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

It shall be the duty of these Honorary Secretaries to supply articles for the Merchistonian Newsletter and to arrange matches, competitions, etc., as may from time to time be approved by the Committee.

Annual General Meeting:

12. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at Merchiston Castle School on such date as the Committee may decide.

Three Office-Bearers and three other Members shall form a quorum.

Special General Meetings:

13. Secretary shall, on a Requisition signed by not less than thirty Members, convene a Special General Meeting. Such a Meeting shall be held not more than two months after the date on which the Secretary receives the Requisition, and at least one month's notice of the purpose of the said Meeting shall be given in writing to all Members normally resident in the United Kingdom , i.e. those who have a United Kingdom address in the Club Register.

Committee Meetings:

14. The Meeting of the Committee shall be held at such times as may be necessary.

Notice of Meetings:

15. All Meetings shall be convened by the Secretary inserting a notice in the Merchistonian Newsletter. Such a notice shall state the purpose for which the Meeting is being convened.

Chairman:

16. The President, or a Vice-President, shall in all cases take the chair, failing whom a Chairman shall be elected by the Members present.

Votes:

17. Except as is hereafter provided, all Motions and Proposals shall be decided by a majority of the Members present and voting, and the Chairman shall have a casting vote. Any Motion for a new Rule, or an alteration in the Rules, must be supported by at least a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting and such Motion shall have been given in the notice convening the Meeting.

Rights of Members:

18. Each Member shall be entitled to participate in every activity of the Club. All Members shall receive a copy of each addition of the Merchistonian Newsletter. Only Members of the Club as defined in Rule 2 and 3, shall be entitled to wear the Club colours.

Club Funds:

19. The Committee shall have power to make grants for any of the Club's activities, and to make grants to Merchiston Castle School for such purposes as the Committee may approve, and generally to deal with the funds as they consider shall be in the best interests of the Club.

Accounts:

20. The financial year shall commence on 1 January in each year. The Treasurer shall keep the Accounts of the Club, which shall be made up each year to 31 December. The Accounts, which shall be audited by a Chartered Accountant, who shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting, shall be submitted to the next Annual General Meeting for approval.