Dinghy Cruising Association Constitution
1. Name and Object
1.1 The name of the Association is the Dinghy Cruising Association. The Association is divided into local groups whose members sail in the same area. The burgee of the Association is blue with a yellow fly and a white triangle on the blue.
1.2 The object for which the Association is formed is to promote and encourage all forms of cruising in dinghies and similar small craft individually or in company at informal meets suggested by members.
2. Membership
2.1 Anyone aged 18 or over, whether the owner of a boat or not, who is interested in dinghy cruising is eligible as a candidate for membership. Membership of the Association shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of sex, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.
2.2 Honorary membership of the Association may be proposed by members at any time and conferred for such periods as thought fit by the General Committee.
2.3 Prospective members who complete an application in the Membership Management System or submit an application form to the Membership Secretary, and pay the necessary subscription, will be admitted to the Association.
2.4 Every member undertakes to comply with these rules and any refusal or neglect to do so or any other conduct which, in the opinion of the General Committee, is either unworthy of a member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the Association shall render the member concerned liable to expulsion by the General Committee provided that, before expelling anyone, the General Committee shall ask them for an explanation and give them opportunity to defend themselves. The vote on an expulsion shall be by ballot and shall only be carried if not less than three fifths of the members of the General Committee vote in favour of the expulsion.
2.5 Every member who participates in a DCA meeting on the water accepts that they are solely responsible for their own safety and that of their crew. They must assess the sailing conditions and satisfy themselves that they have the requisite knowledge and experience to sail and navigate safely in that location on that day. No responsibility for the safety of participants will be accepted by the Association or by the member who suggests the date and location of the rally.
3. Subscription
3.1 Annual subscription rates shall be set by the General Committee and confirmed by a vote at the Annual General Meeting.
3.2 Any member who has not paid their subscription within 30 days of its due date will be removed from the list of members.
4. Non-distribution to members
4.1 All surplus income is to be reinvested in the Association. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties except for small donations to registered charities active within our sport such as the RNLI.
5. Officers
5.1 The officers of the Association shall be: President, General Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Editor and Publisher, Librarian, Public Relations Officer, Website Editor, Forum Manager, IT Support, Shop Manager, Technical Advisor and the Regional Group Secretaries – and any other official posts created by the General Committee, that are subsequently put to the vote of the membership at the Annual General Meeting, and to which a member is voted into post in the usual way.
5.2 Officers shall be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting and, excepting the Regional Secretaries, shall be elected by a show of hands.
5.3 If the number of candidates duly proposed exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot.
5.4 The Officers shall hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election.
5.5 Officers wishing not to continue in post for the following year should, if possible, inform the Chairperson well in advance of the next AGM, so that the vacant post can be advertised.
5.6 The Treasurer shall keep a strict account of all monies received and disbursed on the Association’s account and, when so requested, submit the same to any meeting of the General Committee. The Treasurer shall present an account for the year at the Annual
General Meeting which shall be published in the Journal.
6. Committee
6.1 The general Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Association, the Chairperson being nominated from among their number and elected by the Committee for a period of three years. The quorum shall be six.
6.2 The management of the Association and the election of new members shall be under the exclusive control of the General Committee excepting only the making and alteration of rules. The General Committee only are to enter into any agreement or arrangement with any other sailing Association or Club. The General Committee shall be sole authority of the interpretation of the rules.
6.3 Each Local Group shall be responsible for its own organisation within the framework of these rules and shall be represented by a Regional Group Secretary.
6.4 The General Committee may co-opt a member to fill a casual vacancy caused by death or resignation.
6.5 In pursuance of the authority vested in the Committee by Members of the Association, members of the Committee shall be indemnified by the Members of the Association out of the assets of the Association from and against any liability, costs, expenses or payments whatsoever which may be properly incurred or made by them or any one of them in the exercise of their duties on behalf of the Association wherever the contract is of a duly authorised nature or could be assumed to be of a duly authorised nature and entered into on behalf of the Association.
Should the assets of the Association be insufficient to satisfy such liability, costs, expenses or payments the Committee shall be entitled to a personal indemnity from the individual Members of the Association. The limit of any individual Member's indemnity in this respect shall be a sum equal to one year's subscription at the then current rate of that category of Membership unless the Committee has been authorised to exceed such limit by a General Meeting of the Association.
7. Verifying the Accounts
7.1 At the Annual General Meeting each year a member shall be appointed to check and verify the accounts of the Association for the current year.
8. General Meetings
8.1 An Annual General Meeting shall be held at some place to be named or online and on some day to be fixed by the General Committee. Notice of the date of such meeting and its agenda shall be delivered to the membership at least 14 days before.
8.2 No business shall be voted on at the meeting unless included in the Agenda.
8.3 The General Committee may, on giving fourteen days notice, call a general meeting of the Association for any specific business the nature of which shall be stated in the summons convening the meeting, and the discussion at such meeting shall be confined to that business only.
8.4 The General Committee shall also call a general meeting on the written request of twelve members.
8.5 At any general meeting of the Association each member shall have one vote. In case of an equality of votes, the chair shall have a second or casting vote.
9. New rules, amendments and alterations
9.1 Alterations and additions to the rules shall only be carried out at a general meeting called by the General Committee.
9.2 Notice of any alteration or addition to the rules intended to be proposed by a member of the Association shall be given to the Chairperson in writing at least one month before any general meeting at which the same is to be brought forward, and full particulars of any such alterations or additions shall be set out in the notice convening the meeting.
9.3 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 entitled to vote shall be cast in favour of any proposed alterations, additions or amendments then the same shall be deemed to be carried.
10. Application of assets on dissolution
10.1 Upon dissolution of the Association any remaining assets shall, at the direction of the Committee, be given or transferred to a registered charity and/or the sport’s governing body for use by them in related community sports.
DCA Constitution and Rules of Association
