1. The Club, founded in 1921, shall be called “The Hockley Lawn Tennis Club”. Its Registered Address is Folly Lane, Hockley

2. The freehold premises and other fixed assets of the Club shall be vested in Trustees, who shall be past or present Full-Senior tennis-playing members of the Club.  Such Trustees shall number not less than two and not more than four.  Trustees shall be elected by a simple majority of those present and eligible to vote at an Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting called for that purpose, and shall serve until voted out by members as above, or until resignation or legal disqualification

3. The Club`s financial year shall end on 31 December each year and an Annual General Meeting shall be held, if possible, not later than 28 February the following year.  At least 14 days notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given to members, 25% of the Full-Senior tennis playing members to form a quorum.  If a quorum is not obtained the meeting shall be reconvened within one month when no quorum is required

4. An auditor shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election

5. A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Hon. Secretary to consider any questions affecting the welfare or government of the Club, such a meeting to be held within four weeks of receiving a written request signed by not less than 25% of the Full-Senior tennis-playing members.  At least 14 days notice of SGMs shall be given to members, 25% of Full-Senior tennis-playing members to form a quorum. If a quorum is not present at the stated start-time the meeting shall be void

6. The Club season shall run from 1st April to 31st March in the following year.  Subscriptions, entrance fees, visitors` fees, and match fees shall be decided by Resolution at the preceding Annual General Meeting and shall be valid for one season. All subscriptions and entrance fees shall be due at the start of each season, and if not paid within one month of the due date membership may be forfeited

7. Membership shall be divided into categories, Full-Senior, Junior, Midweek, and Social (non-playing), plus other categories as may be decided upon in General Meeting.  Senior members shall normally be aged 18 and over and Junior Members under 18 on 1st April; however these age requirements may be varied in individual cases at the discretion of the Committee if it is considered to be in the interests of the Club

8. All new members must be approved by the Committee before acceptance into the Club.  The objections of any two members of the General Committee shall be sufficient for the rejection of any application, but no objection will be valid if it is for reason of race, colour, creed, or any other reason which contravenes current legislation. An interval of two days must elapse between the acceptance of any person as a member and his or her being permitted the privileges of such membership

9. No addition to or amendment to the Rules of the Club shall be made except at an Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose.  All proposed changes to the Rules to be considered and voted upon at an Annual General Meeting must be seconded and advised in writing to the Hon. Secretary of the Club by the 31st December in the year immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting and notified by the Club in writing to all members not less than 14 days before that meeting

   1. Only members aged 18 and above personally present at any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall have the right to vote.  Postal votes or proxy votes are not permitted

   2. Only Full-Senior tennis members may vote upon any proposition which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting could affect the assets or long-term future of the Club, including major capital expenditure, borrowing arrangements, charging of Club assets, and Rule changes affecting the Constitution of the Club (Rules 1 – 9)

   3. Social members may vote only upon matters which relate specifically to the social activities of the Club, including the election of the Bar Committee and the annual Social subscription. Members in other categories may vote on all matters subject to the restriction in Rule 9b

10. A list of members will be displayed in the Clubhouse.  The Club will be mindful of current legislation regarding the maintenance of personal data

11. The Club shall be governed by a General Committee, consisting of the Officers (Club Captain, who shall be Chairman, Club Vice-Captain, [both of whom must be Senior tennis playing members], Hon. Secretary, Hon. Membership Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Assistant Treasurer), four Senior tennis playing members, one at least of whom shall be a lady and one at least of whom shall be a man, plus one Social member, six to form a quorum.  The Officers and Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the AGM in the year following.  In the event of vacancies occurring after such annual election, the Committee shall have the power to fill such vacancies and at any time co-opt any member or members to serve on the Committee. The General Committee shall meet not less than once per quarter-year

12. The General Committee may at it`s discretion appoint sub-committees to organise social and other Club activities (eg. table-tennis, darts, etc.). A Bar Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for this purpose, and shall comprise of not less than three members from any category.

13. A Bar Committee shall elect it`s own Chairman. The Assistant Treasurer shall be responsible to the Hon. Treasurer for all monies received and expended by the Bar Committee. The Assistant Treasurer may be an ex-officio or elected member of the Bar Committee

14. The Club Captain, Vice-Captain, and Hon Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees

15. The members of each sub-committee, except the Bar Committee, may be appointed by or dismissed by the General Committee.  All sub-committees are responsible to and subject to the authority of the General Committee.

16. Full Senior tennis members are entitled to use the courts at any time between the hours of 8.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. except during times allocated by the Committee for Junior Coaching or other specific events.  Midweek members are entitled to play Monday to Friday inclusive up to 7.00 p.m., and other categories of membership at times decided by the Annual General Meeting.  Junior members have equal rights to use the courts weekdays up to 6.00 pm and may use the courts at other times when they are not required by Senior members. For the purposes of this Rule, Bank Holidays count as Sundays. Details of permitted playing-times for all categories of membership shall be displayed in the Clubhouse, as shall any temporary restrictions due to specified events taking precedence.  The floodlights may only be used when two or more Full Senior members are using the courts, and members using the floodlights are responsible for switching them off as soon as all play finishes and by 10.00 p.m. at the latest to comply with Planning Consent F/0504/98/ROC dated 6.1.1999.  Members should at all times consider our neighbours refrain from making undue noise or other nuisance, or trespassing in gardens to retrieve balls

17. On court members must wear at all times a minimum of predominantly-white tennis shoes, without heels, and tennis socks; plus tennis shorts/skirt and shirt, or tennis dress. Clothing worn on court must be specifically designed for tennis, but may be of any colour except all-black.  Cardigans, jumpers, sweatshirts, or tracksuit tops may be worn at any time, and tracksuit or jogging bottoms may be worn from October to April inclusive and at other times during warm-ups or when the weather is inclement

18. One court may be booked and used for a tournament or championship match provided it does not commence during or continue into times set aside for specific categories of members described in Rule 16, nor conflict with times set aside for Club representative matches. Members booking courts should be mindful of the needs of other members and avoid where possible times allocated to Senior social tennis sessions (particularly when arranging matches against players from other clubs).  A second court may be allocated for matches by the General Committee if such allocation is unlikely to interfere with general Club play

19. No court may be booked for an outside tournament match during Winter fixed-four sessions under floodlights unless previously sanctioned by the General Committee

20. No person resident within ten miles of the Club may be introduced by a member as a visiting player more than three times in any one season, and such visitor`s fees and conduct are the responsibility of the member.  This rule does not apply to members of other clubs visiting the Club for tournaments or matches

21. The number and dates for Club tennis tournaments shall be decided at each Annual General Meeting.  Additional events may be staged during the season at the discretion of the Committee but not to the detriment of court availability for the majority of members.  Likewise, the number of outside competitions and leagues into which the Club will enter teams will be decided at each A.G.M. and specified court-times agreed

22. A Ladies and a Mens Team Captain, a Senior Match Secretary, and a Leigh & Westcliff Match Secretary shall be elected at each A.G.M., and together with the Club Captain shall form a selection committee for Club teams.  A quorum shall consist of three members.  Once a selection policy has been agreed, the Selection Committee may delegate the week-by-week selection of teams to one or more of it`s number or to a nominated team captain

23. The Ladies and Mens Team Captains shall be primarily responsible for the Essex League and Southend and District League teams, contributing to selection policy, organizing training where appropriate, and taking overall responsibility for the teams.  They may also oversee teams in lesser competitions, such as the Leigh & Westcliff League, at their discretion

24. No member shall be allowed to retain possession of a court beyond the duration of one set (twelve games maximum) to the exclusion of other members wishing to play, except at times allocated for matches, tournaments, or other events specified by the Committee.  This one-set restriction applies to Fixed Fours when there are other Fixed Fours waiting to play

25. The Club shall provide balls as and when required, at the discretion of the Committee

26. The Bar Committee shall be responsible for the purchase and supply of all intoxicating liquors on Club premises and the operation of the bar. Bar opening times will comply with the permitted hours of a private members club to which public access is restricted and from time to time Temporary Event Notices may be applied for when extending opening hours or provision of different entertainment are required.  The Bar Committee will further be responsible for ensuring that the terms of the Premises Licence are complied with at all times, and for any application for the variation of the Premises Licence. The Bar Committee will be responsible for fees payable for the Premises Licence and any Temporary Event Notice. The bar may only be opened by a key holder authorised by the Bar Committee
27. No person under the age of 18 shall be supplied intoxicating liquor, nor shall any member attempt to purchase intoxicating liquor for consumption by a person under 18 on Club premises.       Also, when the bar is open for the supply of intoxicating liquor, all Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult (that is a person aged 18 and above)

28. A member may introduce a personal guest or guests to the Club for social purposes, subject to that member ensuring that the Visitor`s Book is properly completed and signed, and remains responsible for the payment of any account or bill incurred during the visit by the guest or guests.  Members regularly bringing the same guest or guests will be expected to introduce them as social members in their own right

29. There may be admitted to the Registered Premises of the Club persons other than members and their guests subject to their being bona fide members or guests of another tennis, sporting, or social club engaged in bona fide competition with Hockley Lawn Tennis Club and their admission to the Registered Premises of the Club is ancillary to that competition and immediately precedent to, during, or following such competition

30. Only Senior members aged 18 and above shall be allowed a Clubhouse key. The key shall remain the property of the Club and shall be surrendered upon demand by an Officer of the Club. Junior members may only use the Clubhouse when supervised by a responsible adult (18 or over) member.  Any member using Club property is responsible for other than accidental damage done thereto

31. The Club in General Meeting may elect a President and Vice-Presidents.  Such elections shall normally be for a period of five years before re-election or such shorter time as may be decided by members in General Meeting.  The President and Vice Presidents shall generally be long-serving members of the Club. They shall be non-executive officers but may additionally assume elected office under Rule 11

32. Any alterations or changes to Club Rules will be notified to the Chief Officer of Police and to the relevant licensing authority within 28 days

33. The General Committee shall be empowered to decide any matters not covered by these Rules; and their decision shall stand until amended or rescinded at the next Annual General Meeting, or a Special General Meeting convened to discuss that matter. The form and timing of all club competitions is at the discretion of the club committee. The club committee should, when possible, give sufficient notice of any changes to allow members to call a Special General Meeting if sufficient members object

34. A no smoking policy on the Club premises, with the exception of the car park, will operate with effect from 1st April 2007

a .pdf copy for printing can be found here