1. Name
1.1 The name of the Club shall be the Globetrotters Club Ltd. Hereinafter referred to as the “Club”
2. Status and Ethos
2.1 The Club will be a non-profit making organisation.
2.2 The Club promotes diversity and mutual respect. Members and any organisation affiliated to the club are required at all times to act in a manner that does not disadvantage/discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.
2.3 The Club is a private company limited by guarantee. The company was incorporated on the 29 August 2007. Company registration number is 6355357. The company has no share capital and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
3. Objectives of the Club
3.1 To promote and develop an independent travellers network.
3.2 To act on behalf of and in the interests of the Club.
4. Privacy
4.1 The Globetrotters Club take the privacy of our members seriously and will only use your personal information for club administration purposes.
4.2The club may use GDPR compliant third party suppliers to provide services such as to communicate with you about your membership and to send newsletters and publications by post or email.
4.3 Members may opt in to share their information with other members via the online membership list.
4.4 Details about how we manage your data is included in our Privacy Statement
5. President
5.1 The Committee will choose a President as an honorary member to promote the club for a term of three years. Such action will be confirmed at the AGM.
6. Membership
6.1 Membership of the Club shall only be open to all adults over the age of 18 and to under 18’s as part of a family membership.
6.2 Membership will commence from the payment of a subscription.Members will receive a Membership Card and online access to the members’ area of the website comprising members’ benefits including the club constitution, Globe, membership listing and discount list.
6.3 All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the Club has adopted.
6.3 Members will pay membership fees, as determined at the Annual General Meeting.
6.4 Members shall have the right to vote at all General Meetings of the Club.
6.5 Two people resident at the same address shall be eligible for joint membership at the appropriate rate for one person, be entitled to one vote each but only receive one copy of all publications per household. Children under the age of 18 will have free membership but will not be entitled to vote.
6.6 Life Membership was withdrawn from 1st May 1972.
6.7 Honorary membership is given for life to an individual and defined as full membership entitlement plus the right to attend and participate in main committee meetings without voting. However, honorary members may stand for election as voting members of the Committee at an AGM.
6.8 Honorary Membership may be conferred by agreement at an AGM in recognition of a significant personal contribution to the Club
6.9 Honorary membership will continue to be awarded automatically to past Presidents.
6.10 Honorary members and past Presidents will be listed as vice presidents in Globe.
6.11 Honorary members should keep in touch with the membership secretary at least every three years to confirm their membership details.
6.12 On ceasing to be a Member a person forfeits all right to and claim upon the Club and its property and funds.
7. Management of the Club
7.1 Management of the Club shall be entrusted to the Club Committee, hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”, the Committee shall all be Members of the Club.
7.2 The Committee shall elect two of its members to serve as “Company Directors”
7.3 The Club Treasurer shall keep accounting records and produce annual accounts as required by Companies House and UK Law, a copy of the accounts may be requested by HMRC (Tax).
7.4 The financial year of the club will end at the end of August each year.
7.5 The annual accounts will be examined by the committee and presented to the AGM.
7.6 The committee may decide at any time to request the treasurer present the accounting records for a formal audit as it thinks fit.
7.7 The decision of the Committee on the interpretation of this constitution and of club rules shall be final and the Committee is empowered to deal with any matters not covered.
8. The Committee of the Club
8.1 At the Annual General Meeting a minimum of 8 members shall be elected to form the committee.
8.2 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members as it thinks appropriate.
8.3 The Committee at its first full meeting after the AGM shall elect one of their number as Chairperson and another as Treasurer for the year.
8.4 The quorum of the Committee shall be 4 members; of these, at least 2 must be elected members.
8.5 The Auditor, Presidents, Vice Presidents and Honorary members may attend Committee Meetings without voting power.
9. Local Club Meetings
9.1 Local groups which consist of more than 20 members shall form a sub-committee to organise and run the local meetings. These Committees shall be responsible to the main Committee and be requested to produce a report and accounts prior to the AGM.
9.2 Family members under 18’s would not normally be permitted to attend local meeting without a parent or guardian in attendance.
10. General Meetings and Amendments to the Constitution of the Club
10.1 The AGM shall normally be held in November each year and notified to Members , with 21 days’ notice, via the club website, Globe and emails sent to members.
10.2 The AGM will:
- Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM.
- Receive reports from the Chair and Secretary
- Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts
- Elect the Officers on the Committee
- Agree the membership fees for the following year.
- Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.
- Deal with other relevant business.
10.3 The Club will hold an AGM within 6 months of the end of the clubs financial year, usually in November prior to the London Meeting.
10.4 The AGM shall have a quorum of 20. If within half an hour after the advertised time of the Meeting there is not the requisite number, the Meeting shall proceed.
10.5 All Members present in person have the right to vote at the AGM. Each Member will have one vote and all matters shall be determined by a simple majority except any proposal that requires a two-thirds majority of voting members
10.6 Extraordinary General Meetings shall be convened by the Committee or by any 20 members applying in writing to the Secretary.
10.7 All procedures for an EGM shall follow those outlined above for AGMs and shall state that the Meeting is solely for matters stated in the notice convening the Meeting.
10.8 The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of voting members.
10.8 Motions for revision must be forwarded to the Secretary not less than 2 clear months prior to the AGM.
11. Editor, Secretary and Membership Secretary
11.1 The duties of each shall be determined by the Committee.
11.2 The remuneration of these posts shall be fixed by the Committee and ratified at the AGM.
11.3 Expenses incurred for official club business will be reimbursed on production of receipts.
12. Misconduct
12.1 Any member of the Club who is reported to the Committee as being guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interest of the Club shall, after investigation and by a two-third majority of those voting, have their membership suspended forthwith. A notice to that effect shall be placed in “Globe”. Such member has right of appeal from the Committee’s decision, firstly to the Committee and secondly to the next AGM.
13. Dissolution of the Club
13.1 The Club can be dissolved by two thirds majority vote carried out in accordance with Article 12 of the company’s Articles of Association whereupon the committee will arrange to discharge any assets.
13.2 In accordance with the Memorandum of Association, each member’s financial liability is limited to £1.