The objectives of the Club are to promote and foster curling, to organise and carry through competitions and matches and to provide clubroom and other facilities pertaining thereto. In pursuance of these objectives, to make arrangements with Ayrshire Curlers Ltd on such terms as may be agreed on, for the use of their ice and other premises at Limekiln Road, Ayr. The Club is a non-profit organisation. Surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club's facilities. The Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so, it acknowledges and adopts the following definition of sports equity: Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equity of access, recognising the inequalities and taking steps to address them and it is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society. The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economics status. The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of discrimination, harassment and abuse. All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to Club disciplinary procedures.
The membership shall consist of Ordinary Members, Junior Members, Young Members, Non-Playing Members, Associate Members and such Temporary and Honorary Members as may be admitted under the rules and byelaws. A "Junior Member "means any member between the age of 8 and 18 years of age. No Junior Member may purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol within the Club Premises. Subject to aforesaid, a Junior Member shall be entitled to the full amenities of the Club but shall not be entitled to vote or introduce visitors or guests under clause 20 thereof. "Young Members" shall consist of persons between the ages of 18 and 21 years and shall be subject to the rules governing Ordinary Members. "Non-Playing Members" shall be entitled to the full amenities of the Club but may not introduce visitors or guests. Only non-curling partners of playing members shall be entitled to be Non-Playing Members. An "Associate Member" shall be entitled to participate in the social activities of the Club and shall have no vote. Membership of the class "Associate Member" will be restricted to members of Ayr Ice Hockey Clubs, Ayr Figure Skating Club, Ayr Kyle Figure Skating Club and the maximum number of Associate members will be 200.
On the recommendation of the Committee it shall be competent for two thirds of the members present at a General Meeting to confer upon anyone the distinction of Honorary Life Membership, in recognition of outstanding service to the Club or the game of curling. Honorary Life Members shall be exempt from payment of subscription. They shall be subject to all rules and bylaws of the Club and have all rights of an Ordinary Member, but shall have no voice in the management unless elected to office for which they may be eligible.
The Office Bearers of the Club shall be: President, Lady President, Vice President, Lady Vice President, immediate Past President and Immediate Past Lady President.
The policies and finances of the Club shall be administered by a General Committee which will meet periodically. This Committee shall be elected at the Annual General meeting and shall consist of the Office Bearers together with six gentlemen and six lady members elected for a period of three years. Members elected for two or three years shall not be eligible for re-election for one year. Members elected for one year shall be eligible for reelection on one occasion only, following which they shall not be eligible for re-election for one year. Any member retiring from the Committee will be eligible to serve as an Office Bearer if elected. Nominations for election to the Committee must be in the hands of the Secretary twenty-four hours prior to the Annual General Meeting. If there are insufficient written nominations to fill vacancies occurring on the Committee, then nominations will be accepted from the floor at the Annual General Meeting. In that situation those nominated in writing shall be elected automatically and any ballot will involve those nominated from the floor to fill any remaining vacancies. The Chairman of Ayrshire Curlers Ltd will be an ex-officio member of the Committee but will have no vote. The Committee will have the power to co-opt a member in order to fill a vacancy and the coopted member will require to stand for re-election at the next coming Annual General Meeting. The quorum for meetings of the Committee will be five.
The General Committee will, from its own members, appoint such sub-committees as shall be considered essential to conduct the affairs of the Club. The President and Vice President will be ex-officio members of any sub-committee appointed. Conveners of sub-committees shall be able to co-opt members to the subcommittees as thought fit.
The Club Secretary shall be appointed by the General Committee. He/she will conduct the correspondence, give notice of the meetings, keep a minute book and a register of members. The Club Treasurer shall be appointed by the General Committee. He/she receives and disburses monies belonging to the Club, keeping account books which shall be independently reviewed before submission to the Annual General Meeting.
A General Meeting of the members, of which ten days' notice shall be given, shall be held annually each year prior to the end of August. The business shall consist of:
Consideration and adaptation of the Annual Reports.
Election of Office Bearers and members of the General Committee.
Election of an Honorary President and/or Honorary Vice President as required to fill any vacancies.
Appointment of an Independent Reviewer who will hold no other office of the Club.
Fix subscription and levy, if any, for the ensuing year
Any Other Competent Business ; Fifteen members form a Quorum.
A Special Meeting may be called at any time by the General Committee and must be called within ten days of receipt by the President or Secretary of a written requisition signed by not fewer than twenty members of the Club. The notice calling the meeting shall inform of the business to be put before them, and business at such meetings shall be confined to matters raised in the requisition.
The acting Chairman at all meetings shall have a casting, as well as a deliberative vote.
Investment of Club funds will be in the name of the President and Secretary of the Club.
Membership is open and no application for membership will be refused on other than reasonable rounds. There will be no discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, political or other opinion. There will be the right of appeal to the General Committee following refusal of any application for membership providing the appeal is made in writing to the general Committee with 14 days of intimation to the applicant of refusal. The General Committee should consider the appeal within 14 days of receiving the appeal.
On admission of a member, the Secretary shall notify him or her of election, supplying a copy of the Constitution of the Club, intimating that until the subscription has been paid, he or she cannot enjoy the privileges and advantages of the Club. Non-payment, within one month from the date of election, shall make such election null and void, unless satisfactory reasons are given to the Committee.
The subscriptions shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting and the subscriptions shall be payable on 1st September each year. Payment of subscription shall entitle the member to use the Club premises at such times as they are open. If a member's subscription remains unpaid after thirty days, the membership shall automatically cease.
Any member wishing to resign must give written notice to the Secretary not later than September 1st, failing which, he or she shall be liable for ensuing year's subscription. The Committee may take proceedings for the recovery of the subscription under rules 14 and 15.
If a member infringes any of the provisions of the Constitution or Rules and Byelaws of the Club, or their conduct is, in the opinion of the General Committee, injurious to the interest of the Club, the Committee, after affording the member the opportunity of explaining his/her conduct, shall be entitled to call on the member to resign, or if that is refused, to cancel the membership. Upon resignation or expulsion, a member shall forfeit all claims upon the Club and its property and funds.
Subject to the provisions contained in the Constitution, the General Committee shall have power to make, alter and amend the Rules and Byelaws of the Club and to make new Rules, which shall be binding on all members, until revoked or otherwise determined by the Club.
No member of the Committee and no official, manager or servant employed by the Club shall have any personal interest in the sale of alcohol therein or in the profits arising from such a sale.
Each member may introduce not more than three visitors to the Club on any one occasion. A visitor will only be supplied with alcohol on the invitation of and in the company of a member. The member shall be responsible for entering his own name and the name and address of the visitor(s) in the Visitor's Book immediately upon the introduction of the visitor(s). No guests may be introduced on more than three occasions in any one-year, except in the case of a member introducing his or her partner. Persons who are members of a curling club associated with or affiliated to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club or other recognised curling union or body at home or abroad and who are competitors in any match, competition or Bonspiel sponsored or organised by or on behalf of the Club may be authorised to use the premises of the Club by any member of the Committee during the period of the competition in which they are competing. Such persons so admitted will be called "Temporary Members" and shall not be required to pay a subscription, provided however that they may be required to pay the sum of £3.00 (or such other sum as may be fixed and put in at Annual General Meeting) as an entrance fee.
Members of Ayr Ice Hockey Clubs, Ayr Figure Skating Club and Ayr Kyle Figure Skating Club may apply for membership of the Club as an "Associate Member". Such members shall be entitled to use the premises only on those occasions when the club, through which they are associate members, uses the Ice Rink and shall have no vote. The subscription for such member shall be fixed and shall be payable in terms of Rule 15 hereof.
The Club shall be open at such hours and on such days as the General Committee may from time to time determine, but the determination of the Committee shall confirm to the days and hours of opening necessary to conform to the requirements of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
The General Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter arising which is not specifically provided for in the Constitution
The Constitution shall come into operation on the day on which it adopted by members in General Meeting, it shall not be altered or added to except at a General Meeting of the Club and only then if a two-thirds majority of those present and voting approve such amendment. Notice of any motion for alteration to the Constitution to be moved at an Annual General Meeting must be lodged with the secretary in writing, fourteen days before the date of such meeting.
No alcohol shall be sold or supplied in the Club to any person under 18.
The Club may be dissolved by resolution passed by two-thirds of the members present and voting at a General Meeting of the Club. Ten days' notice of any such motion must be given to members. No surplus will be distributed other than on dissolution. Any surplus funds or property of the Club, after the Club's liabilities and debts have been met, shall be made over to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club or its successor as governing body of the game of curling.
No member shall be under any liability whatsoever beyond his or her annual subscription or become liable for or responsible for any expenses or debt on behalf of the Club.