​Club Rules

RULES OF THE CROYDON DINING CLUB

1 Name and Objects

The Club shall be called THE CROYDON DINING CLUB and its objects are:
(a) To foster and further the appreciation and enjoyment of good food, wine, conversation and fellowship
(b) To promote and organise from time to time dinners or similar functions at some of which speakers of high quality or national standing may be invited to address the Club
The Club will not indulge in party political activities in any form, but this is not to prevent the Club from inviting speakers who are engaged in politics.

2 Office

The Club’s principal office shall be at Satago Cottage, 360a Brighton Road, Croydon CR2 6AL or such other address as the Club’s Council shall from time to time determine.

3 Use of Name

The name of the Club shall be mentioned in legible characters on all business letters, notices, website and other official publications of the Club.

4 Powers

The Club shall have full power to do all things necessary or expedient or may apply its funds in order to accomplish all or any of its objects as specified in these rules including power to hire rent purchase sell borrow charge or lease property or assets of whatsoever nature.

5 General Meetings

The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year and no more than fifteen months shall elapse between the date of one Annual General Meeting and that of the next, on a date to be fixed by the Club Council of which at least seven clear days’ notice in writing shall be given to each member. An agenda of the business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting and a copy of the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting shall accompany such written notice. A copy of the Accounts for the financial year immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting shall be provided to every member as soon as practicable prior to the Annual General Meeting.
A General Meeting may be called at any time by the Secretary upon giving to each member at least seven days’ notice in writing thereof accompanied by written details of the purpose of each meeting and the business to be transacted thereat. Such a meeting shall be called by the Secretary in the following cases:

(a) upon the direction of the Club’s Council and in accordance with that direction, or
(b) on a requisition signed by at least fifteen members stating the specific purpose therefor.
6 Officers
The Club shall have the following officers:
(a) President
(b) Vice-President
(c) Treasurer
(d) Secretary
(e) At the Council’s discretion each year, Honorary Adviser (non-executive)
(f) The Chairperson of the Dining Committee
(g) The Chairperson of the Speakers Committee
(h) The Chairperson of the Membership Committee
(I) The Chairperson of the Special Events Committee

The five named Officers together with the Chairperson of each Committee shall form the Club’s Council.

7 Appointment and Rotation of Officers

The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and, if so proposed by the Council, the Honorary Adviser shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Club and, save in the case of an Honorary Adviser, shall remain in office until their successors are appointed. The Dining Committee, Speakers Committee, Membership Committee and the Special Events Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.

Any member who may wish to be considered for membership of any Committee may notify his or her interest to the Secretary at least two months before the date of the Annual General Meeting of the Club.

8 The President

The President shall take the chair at all General Meetings of the Club and at all meetings of the Club’s Council held under these rules at which he or she is present and shall have a casting vote only in the event of an equality of voting. In his or her absence at meetings of the Council the chair may be taken by any member elected for that purpose by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. In the event that the President shall be unable to attend any General Meeting, any function of the Club or any meeting of the Club’s Council the Vice-President shall act as his or her deputy and exercise all the President’s powers and rights.

9 The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall pay all moneys received by the Club from any source whatsoever to an account opened in the name of the Club at such bank and in such manner as the Club’s Council shall direct and prepare accounts and when required to do so submit the same duly independently examined to the Club’s Council or a General Meeting and shall in any event prepare such accounts annually up to the 31st December in every year or such other date as the Club’s Council shall from time to time direct for submission to the Annual General Meeting.

10 The Secretary

The Secretary shall keep a membership register in which shall be recorded the full names and addresses of members and shall carry out the directions of the Club’s Council and
attend all meetings of the same and take minutes of proceedings. The Secretary shall attend all General Meetings of the Club and take minutes of the proceedings.

11 Dining Committee

The Dining Committee shall be responsible to the Club’s Council and to the members of the Club for all arrangements concerning dinners or similar functions promoted or organised by the Club (but not those which are the responsibility of the Special Events Committee). The Dining Committee shall consist of at least three members.

12 The Speakers Committee

The Speakers Committee shall be responsible for all arrangements concerning the issue of invitations to or the procuring of speakers of the highest standing or quality to address the Club members at dinners or similar functions. The Speakers Committee shall consist of at least three members.

13 Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall be responsible for all matters relating to membership of the Club and its recommendation on such matters shall be submitted to the Club’s Council. The Membership Committee shall consist of at least three members.

14 Special Events Committee

The Special Events Committee shall be responsible for arranging special events for members of the Club of such number and type as the Club’s Council shall from time to time approve. The Special Events Committee shall consist of at least three members.

15 Co-opted Members

The Club’s Council may at any time and from time to time co-opt an additional member or members to any of the Club’s Committees if it considers such action to be for the benefit of and in the best interests of the Club. Any of the Club’s Committees may nominate one of its members to be its deputy chairperson for any period during which that Committee’s Chairperson may be unable or unavailable to carry on his or her office and during such period the deputy so nominated shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Club’s Council and act and vote as Chairperson of that Committee. At the invitation of the Club’s Council a committee member may be in attendance at a Council Meeting in whole or in part.

16 Membership

At no time shall the membership of the Club exceed such number as the Council shall deem appropriate from year to year.

Once elected as a member, a person shall be expected to attend at least two of the Club’s events in any calendar year (excluding any Christmas event).

17 Application for Membership

Upon application by any person for membership that person shall complete an application form in such a form as shall be stipulated by the Membership Committee. He or she must be proposed in writing by a member and seconded by another member both able from personal knowledge to vouch for his or her respectability and fitness to be a member and must sign such (if any) declarations of his or her concurrence with and adherence to the purposes and rules of the Club as shall be required by the Membership Committee. The election to membership shall be in the discretion of the Membership Committee and no candidate shall be elected who is under twenty-one years of age.

Inter alia, the Membership Committee may refuse membership to any candidate who has not attended at least two functions of the Club as a guest.

18 Subscriptions

Every member shall pay to the funds of the Club an annual subscription of such an amount as the Club shall in Annual General Meeting from time to time decide and such subscription shall be paid as soon as a member is elected and subsequently within fourteen days of the 1st day of July in every year. The annual subscription of any person who is elected as a member within the four months preceding the 1 July in the year he or she joins shall cover the period from his or her election to 30 June in the following year.

Any member who has not paid his or her subscription within the said fourteen days shall be considered in arrears and if it be not paid within a further twenty-eight days he or she shall cease to be a member except that the Club’s Council may in its discretion reinstate any membership which has so lapsed provided the subscription has first been paid.

No subscription shall be payable by any member who has reached the age of 75 years at 1st July in any year and who at that date has been a member of the Club for ten years or more, if that member requests the Secretary that he or she should no longer pay a subscription. 

19 Cessation of Membership

A member shall cease to be a member:

(a) by non-payment of subscription as aforesaid
(b) by exclusion
(c) by resignation

Any member wishing to resign must send written notice to the Secretary and his or her resignation shall take effect from the next 30 June. If not already paid, the whole of the annual subscription must be tendered by the resigning member.

No refunds of subscriptions will be paid for any part of the year during which a member ceases to be a member.

20 Exclusion of Members

The Club’s Council shall have power to suspend or exclude any member who shall infringe any rule or whose conduct in its opinion renders him or her unfit for membership but no member shall be suspended or excluded without first being given an opportunity, by notice of not less than twenty one days, to meet the Club’s Council in order to give such explanation as he or she may wish to submit, nor unless at least two thirds of the Club’s Council then present shall vote for his or her suspension or exclusion.

21 Removal of Officers

Any Officer of the Club may be removed by the votes of not less than two thirds of members present at a General Meeting.

22 Quorum

A General Meeting may proceed to business if ten members are present within one hour of the time fixed for the commencement of the meeting.

23 Voting

Each member shall be entitled to one vote and except as otherwise herein provided all matters shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote.

24 Amendment of Rules

These rules may be amended only at a General Meeting and notice of the General Meeting shall contain detailed wording of the proposed amendment(s). Any amendment(s) shall require the votes of at least two thirds of those present and entitled to vote.

25 Membership Register and Rules

All members shall be entitled at all reasonable times and upon request to inspect the Membership Register and shall be entitled upon request to be supplied with a copy of these rules.

26 Application of Profits

All profits of the Club shall be applied in promoting the mutual interests of the Club members in pursuit of the objects of the Club as provided for in these rules provided that no profits or funds of the Club shall be distributed amongst the members, save upon a dissolution of the Club.

27 Independent Examiner

An Independent Examiner shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Independent Examiner shall examine the accounts referred to in rule 9 prior to their submission to the Club’s Council or a General Meeting.

28 Dissolution

The Club may at any time be dissolved by a vote of the members at an Annual General Meeting or a General Meeting. Such vote must be by at least three quarters of those members present, on a show of hands.

If after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities there remains any property or funds whatsoever the same shall be disposed of in whatever manner shall be decided by a majority vote of the Club’s Council.

DATED 5th February 2024