Club Standing Orders

Rotary Club of Uppingham Standing Orders 

These standing orders recognise that, due to the relatively small size of the Club, not all regulations contained in the standard RI Club Constitution and By-laws can be implemented in full; they enshrine custom and practice developed over the years since the Club was first chartered in 2006.

1. Applicability

These standing orders may be amended at any time by a vote at a Club Business/Council meeting (including the AGM), subject to the following procedure:

a.  Notice must be given to all members of the proposed change at least ten days prior to the meeting. No amendments will be accepted after that date.

b.  The meeting must be attended by not less than half the membership (excluding honorary members).

c.  The decision will be made on a simple majority vote, the Chairman of the meeting having a casting vote if necessary.

d. Proxy voting will be allowed providing the Secretary has received written notification, signed and dated by the member expecting to be absent, at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.  The notification will not specify the voting intent, merely authorising another member to vote on behalf of the absentee. 

The Standing Orders will be reviewed prior to the AGM each year, commencing in 2013, to ensure that they remain relevant to the custom and practice of the Club.

2. Name

The Club shall be known as the Rotary Club of Uppingham.

3. Meetings

The Club shall normally meet weekly on Monday at 1930 except that no meeting shall be held on Public Holidays. This may be waived, with the agreement of the club, providing the required minimum of meeting twice a month is met; service projects or social events count as meetings.  A concurrent Council/Business meeting shall be held once per month and the fact reflected in the minutes of the meeting.  Meetings may be held virtually when circumstances dictate and when approved by members.

4. Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence will normally be granted automatically to any member who signs out on the Club attendance register for business or personal reasons.

5. Meeting Agendas 

The agenda for Business/Council meetings shall be circulated to all members by e-mail during the weekend preceding a meeting to be held on the following Monday; all items for inclusion in the agenda shall be notified to the Secretary not later than 1200 on the Friday preceding a Business/Council meeting.  Except that for the Annual General Meeting, the annual Special General Meeting or an Extraordinary General meeting called to elect Officers or Council members for the following year; the agenda, or at least details of Officer nominations, shall be circulated not later than the Tuesday before the meeting.

All members should endeavour to forward any reports or business items to the Secretary in time for inclusion in the agenda when it is circulated.  A member wishing to raise an item under “Any Other Business” shall seek the permission of the President before raising the item at the meeting.

6.  Meal Cancellation 

Where possible non-attendance at Monday meetings should be notified in advance on the attendance sheet.  Normal cancellations should be with the Assistant Secretary as early as possible on the preceding Sunday.  In the event of an unavoidable emergency on Monday the member must telephone the Falcon and let the staff there know by 12 noon.  Failure to do this will almost certainly result in a charge being made to the club and subsequently to the member.  They should also, where possible, leave a message for the Assistant Secretary before the meeting.

7. Officers 

Due to the small size of the Club: 

a.  A retiring President may accept another position as an Officer of the Club during the year when he/she is Immediate Past- President. 

b. The Club will not normally elect a Sergeant-at-Arms.

c. In exceptional circumstances the Secretary and Treasurers may serve for longer than 5 years but no more than 8 years, if agreed by the Club Council.

8. Council 

The membership of the Club Council shall consist of the Club Officers appointed under By-law 3 and up to a further 4 ordinary members elected at the AGM making a total of 9 members.  A quorum of the Council shall consist of not less than 4 members; the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

9. Committee Chairpersons

The Club will elect members annually to the posts specified in By-law 6 but shall not appoint committees and will rely on the elected Chairpersons to co-opt members as appropriate for specific tasks.

10. Honorary Members 

Clubs should guard the election to honorary membership as exclusively a distinction for meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals and for permanent support of Rotary’s cause.  Honorary membership is the highest distinction that a club may bestow and should be conferred only in exceptional cases but may not be conferred upon an active member by the members of one’s own club.

Honorary members are exempt from paying admission fees and dues, have no vote, and are not eligible to hold any office in the club.  Such members do not hold classifications but are entitled to attend all meetings and enjoy all the other privileges of the club.  No honorary member of a club is entitled to any rights or privileges in any other club, except for the right to visit other clubs without being the guest of a Rotarian.  Individuals may hold honorary membership in more than one club.

A proposal to elect prospective honorary members should be notified to all club members at least one week in advance of a formal proposal being put forward at a club meeting; they should be proposed, seconded and receive the full support of all club members before they are approached regarding their acceptance. 

11. Charitable Trust 

The Club’s charitable funds shall be held within the Rotary Club of Uppingham Charitable Trust; the Club shall elect 4 Trustees to the Trust at the Annual General Meeting; the Trustees will be responsible for all reporting to the Charity Commission and HMRC and for ensuring that the Club fully complies with all aspects of Charity Law as required by the Charity Trust Deed.

12. Communications  

a. The principal medium for Club communications shall be e-mail.

b. The Club will maintain a web-site at www.uppinghamrotary.com. 

13. Bank Accounts  

The Club shall maintain 2 bank accounts with Barclays Bank Ltd, one shall be the Business account and one shall be the Charity account; further accounts may be opened to account for specific projects if required.  The signatories to the accounts shall be 3 of the 4 members nominated as Trustees of the Charitable Trust. Two signatures shall be required to authorise any cheque issued against either account; electronic payments by BACS must also be authorised by 2 signatories.

14. Authorisation of Expenditure 

Any expenditure of £100 or more shall be authorised at a meeting of the Club Council at which the standard rules as to quorums shall apply. The authorisation shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting and cross-referred in the club accounts.

15. Charity Funding   

The President shall nominate charities or charitable projects to be supported by the Club for approval by Club members at the Annual Club Assembly; however, such recommendation shall not be exclusive and further support may be tendered in-year with the authority of Club members at a duly constituted Club Business meeting.  A lead charity may be nominated to be supported by any particular event but this is not an invariable requirement.  The Club shall seek to build a reserve of Charitable funds by raising funds for Charities supported by Rotary.

16. Document Retention   

Paper records covering the day to day running of the club should be retained for 5 years.  Electronic records should be retained indefinitely.  However, paperwork pertaining to the Charitable Trust should be retained for 7 years.

17. Weekly Raffle (18 Apr 2016 minor amendment July 2016)

Where appropriate, the Club shall hold a raffle at each of its meetings the proceeds of which will be deposited in the Club business account. Monies may be used for either excessive business account demands or be used to support local or emergency charity requests; if no such need arises, the funds may be used to defray the annual Club Foundation donation. Any such transfer of these funds must be approved by Club members at a business meeting.

18. Gift Aid  

The Club shall register with HMRC for the purpose of reclaiming Gift Aid on any eligible donations.

19. The Rotary Foundation   

The Club shall endeavour to meet the RI recommended giving target per annum per member (excluding honorary members) to The Rotary Foundation.