The Constitution for the Association of Ocean Rowers

1. NAME
The club shall be known as the ASSOCIATION OF OCEAN ROWERS hereinafter known as The Club.

2. OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of The Club shall be to promote the sport of Ocean Rowing by offering assistance and to advice those who choose to participate in the sport. The secondary objective of the club shall be to maintain an enjoyable social network of Ocean Rowers and any interested parties.

3. INDEPENDENCE
The Club shall be a wholly independent association and shall not be affiliated to any other bodies or companies active in the field of Ocean Rowing; including, but not limited to, The Ocean Rowing Society International Ltd, Woodvale Challenge Ltd, Ocean Rowing Events, Rames Guyane or any derivatives thereof.
This does not affect the right of any customers, staff, members, affiliates, or officers of such bodies to join The Club or sit on its Committee.

4. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of The Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of Ocean Rowing upon application and shall not be restricted to those persons who actively partake in the sport.
If it is considered by the majority of The Club’s Committee that the granting or continuation of an individual’s membership would be detrimental to the aims, objectives or spirit of The Club, or that by virtue of the individual’s conduct or character they are likely to bring The Club or the sport of Ocean Rowing into disrepute, compromise the independence of The Club, or for some other similar good cause, The Club’s Committee shall be entitled to refuse or withdraw membership with immediate effect. In doing so the Committee shall provide their full reasons in writing for their decision.

5. ENTRANCE FEE
There shall be no entrance fee to join The Club and no annual subscription shall be paid.

6. COMMITTEE
The Committee shall conduct the affairs of The Club as a whole and shall consist of a President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and other Officers as deemed necessary, together with up to five ordinary members. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt as many further members as necessary but co-opted members shall have no right to vote at Committee meetings.
Nominations for the position of President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and other Officers shall be put forward in the form of a seconded motion.

The term of office shall be determined by the President except for his own office which shall be determined by the majority of the Chairman, Captain and Treasurer, and members shall be eligible for re-election.
President: The President shall chair all General Meetings of The Club membership, supervise and manage all general affairs and operations of The Club and ensure that board matters are handled properly. The President shall ensure that the Board and its Committees are adequately and currently informed of the condition of The Club and its operations. The President shall ensure that published reports accurately reflect the operating results and financial condition of The Club. The President shall ex officio be a member of any other Committee of The Club. The President shall cast the deciding vote in the event of a tied vote on any issue at any meeting.
Chairman: The Chairman (or Chair) shall preside at all ordinary meetings of The Club and at all meetings of the Committee, and shall be responsible for guiding the activities of the club in accordance with its general policy as expressed by the majority of its members.

Captain: The Captain shall be responsible for assisting The Club’s members in their undertaking to row an ocean. This shall include, but is not limited to, offering advice and suggesting other Ocean Rowers from whom second opinion advice may be sought.

Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for the organisation of meetings of the Committee and of The Club, and the recording of minutes relating to such meetings and all correspondence relating to the general business of The Club.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection and disbursement of all monies belonging to The Club and will keep proper accounting records of all such transactions. He or she will present to the members at the AGM a balance sheet and income and expenditure account showing The Club’s financial position and the results of its transactions for the year. The transactions of The Club will be conducted through a bank account and will require the signatures of two members of the Committee, one of which will be the Treasurer and one of which will have been designated for the purpose by majority agreement of the Committee. The Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring that no financial arrangement compromises the independence of The Club to express opinions on any issue pertaining to the field of Ocean Rowing.

7. GENERAL MEETINGS
An Annual General Meeting shall be held in the Autumn of each year in an establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. There shall be laid before the meeting a statement of accounts made up to the last day of the month of August immediately preceding.
Motions for discussion at Annual General Meetings not of origin from within the Committee, shall be lodged with the Secretary at least 30 days preceding the AGM, and be signed by two members.
At any General Meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the Meeting shall be decided by a show of hands except when more than one nomination has been received for a position on the Committee, in which case voting will be by secret ballot.
At all General Meetings the President will preside or, in his/her absence, a Chairman for the meeting will be elected by the voting members present.
A Special General Meeting shall be called on the instructions of a majority of the Committee, or on a requisition signed by not less than one third of the members of the Club.
Accidental Omission: Accidental Omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of, a meeting by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of a meeting.
Only those club members who are known to have actively participated in the physical act of Ocean Rowing with the intent of crossing said Ocean, or those members who can satisfactorily demonstrate that they are actively planning to do so are eligible to vote, unless otherwise stated by the Committee.

8. LIABILITY
The General Committee shall manage the affairs of The Club. Financial or legal liability incurred in the rightful exercise of their office shall not, however, be the personal liability of the Committee, but shall be the responsibility of The Club as a whole.
Members of the club are solely liable for their death or injury resulting from the sport of Ocean Rowing.

9. ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION
This constitution shall not be altered, amended or rescinded except by a General Meeting of The Club.

10. DISTRIBUTION OF PROFITS
In no circumstances shall any profit be distributed to members by any means and no member shall draw a salary or receive any payment in kind. Any profits earned shall be used in furthering the objects of The Club. This may include establishing an emergency fund to be given to Ocean Rowers in need. The definition of “in need” shall be determined on an ad hoc basis by the majority of the Committee. Any reasonable expenses incurred may be paid on production of a valid receipt to the Treasurer at his or her discretion. Other than for sums less than fifty British Pounds, these must be agreed by the Committee prior to incurring the expense.
At no time shall The Club borrow money or become indebted to another party for any reason.

11. TERMINATION
The Club shall not terminate except by a resolution of a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose and, in such an event, any surplus assets shall be handed over in full to the Royal National Life-boat Institution of the United Kingdom.

12. POWER OF DECISION
Any matter not provided for in this constitution, or any question over the interpretation of it shall be dealt with by the Committee chaired by the President. This decision shall be final.

13. SAFETY
Participation in the sport of Ocean Rowing, like all seafaring endeavours, has been shown to be unpredictable and in some cases fatal. Individual members are at all times responsible for their own safety and at no time shall The Club, its Committee or its members be held accountable for the actions of individual members at sea or on land.
All members are hereby advised that Ocean Rowing is an unusually dangerous sport which has previously resulted in both the death and serious injury of those who have chosen to participate. All members of The Club are hereby instructed to take upon themselves sole responsibility for completion all necessary training required to be deemed competent seafarers and any such training required by any official body with authority over any waters in which they will reside.

14. CONSTITUTIONAL APPROVAL
This Constitution was first approved by Special General Meeting held on January 29th 2007. In the absence of a President, the office of the President was temporarily assigned to the Secretary for the purposes of approval of the constitution.

Signed & Dated

Chairman: Dr George Simpson
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Captain: Ms Sally Kettle
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Secretary: Mr Chris Martin
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Treasurer: Mr Jerry Rogers
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