J/24 UK Class Association Constitution

Name and Object
1.	The name of the Association is ‘The J/24 UK Class Association’ and the emblem of the Association shall be defined in the Class Rules.

2.	The objects of the Association are to promote the interests and administer the affairs of the International J/24 Class in the United Kingdom.
3.	The UK J24 Class has signed up to the RYA Racing Charter, the objectives, principles and practices, the guidelines can be found at www.rya.org.uk/racing/charter .

Membership
4a. Any sailor, being an owner, or part owner, of a J/24 is eligible as a candidate for owner membership.
 
b. Any sailor who is keen and interested in the J/24 Class is eligible as a candidate for associate membership.

c. All owners and helmsmen must be full members of the UK Class Association if they race the boat in any Class One Design event.
 
5.	The Association may, on the recommendation of the Committee, elect honorary members.

6. Every candidate for owner or associate membership shall send his or her   
  name and address and any other particulars that may be required to the    Honorary Secretary.

7. Members, other than honorary members, may be elected at any meeting of
the Committee duly convened for that purpose. Candidates may, and on the   request of one member of the Committee shall be elected by ballot and one black ball shall exclude.

8. Any member desirous or retiring from the Association shall notify his
intention to the Honorary Secretary on or before the 21st December otherwise he shall be liable for next year’s subscription.

9.	Every member, on joining the Association, implicitly undertakes to comply with the Constitution of the Association and with the Rules of the Class and any refusal, or neglect, to do so or any conduct which, in the opinion of the Committee, is either unworthy of a member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the Association shall render a member liable to a warning to be recorded in the Class records and suspension or expulsion should the committee so decide.  The Committee shall in all such cases call for an explanation and shall give the member an opportunity of defending him/herself or of resigning their membership. Members should note that the Class has signed up to the RYA Racing Charter, more information is available at www.rya.org.uk/racing/charter.

Subscriptions
10.
a.	The annual subscription payable on election and on January 1st in each year shall be determined from time to time in general meeting.

b.	Any member who has not paid his subscription by March 1st shall be  requested in the name of the Committee to pay the same within 14 days and, if his subscription is not paid by March 31st, his name may be removed from the list of members by the Committee. A member’s name may be restored at the discretion of the Committee.

c.	No member in any year shall be entitled to exercise any rights or privileges of membership until his subscription for that year and all arrears (if any) are paid.

d.	Any member elected after October 1st in any year who shall have paid his subscription for that year shall not be required to pay any subscription for the following year.

Officers
11.
a.	The officers of the Association shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and a Technical Officer, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. The retiring officers shall be eligible for re-election.

b.	No candidate for election to any office (other than the retiring officers) shall be proposed unless the name of such candidate and his proposer shall have been sent to the Honorary Secretary at least 45 days before the Annual General Meeting.

Committee
12.
a.	The Committee shall consist of the officers, ex officio officers, and not more than ten members of the Association elected by the Association in General Meeting to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. The members will normally be expected to be the area Fleet Captains. 

b. Candidates for election to the Committee shall be those members of the retiring Committee who offer themselves for re-election and such other members of the Association whose nominations, duly proposed and seconded by members of the Association in writing shall have been sent to the Honorary Secretary at least 45 days before the Annual General Meeting.

c. If a casual vacancy occurs by death or resignation, the Committee may co-opt a member to fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

d. If the number of candidates duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot.

13.	The Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association according to the Constitution and shall apply the funds of the Association to the objects of the Association.

14.	It shall be the duty of the Honorary Treasurer to keep a complete and accurate account of the Association’s finances.

Honorary Auditor
15.	
     At the Annual General Meeting in each year a member shall be appointed as Honorary Auditor whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the Association for the current year. In the event that he/ she is unwilling or unable to act the Committee may appoint a substitute.

General Meetings
16.
     a. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year as determined by the Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall advise all members in writing of the place, time and date of such meeting at least 90 days beforehand and shall give a further 30 days notice of such a meeting with details of the business to be brought forward thereat.

b. No business except the passing of the accounts and the election of Officers, Committee and Honorary Auditor and any other business that the Committee may order to be inserted in the notice convening the meeting shall be discussed at such meetings unless notice thereof be given to the Honorary Secretary at least 45 days prior to such meeting.

c. The Committee may, on giving 30 days notice, call a general meeting of the Association for any specific business, the nature of which shall be stated on the summons convening the meeting, and the discussion at such meeting shall be confined to that business only.

d. At a general meeting of the Association, each full member shall have one vote. Honorary members and associate members shall be entitled to attend a general meeting but shall have no vote. In cases of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

New Rules, Amendments and Alterations
17.
     a. Notice of any alteration or addition to the Rules intended to be proposed by a member of the Association shall be given to the Honorary Secretary in writing at least 45 days before the general meeting at which the same is to be brought forward and full particulars of any such proposed alterations or additions shall set out in the notice convening the meeting.

b. All such proposed alterations or additions and any amendments to them which may be proposed and seconded shall be put to the vote of the meeting, and provided that, on a show of hands, or, if demanded, on a poll, a majority of two thirds of the votes of those members present and voting shall be cast in favour of any proposed alterations or additions or amendments then the same shall be deemed to be carried.