AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1 Interpretation

In these Rules the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:

“Committee” Brooklands Members Committee.
“Rules” Rules for Associate Membership of the Trust outlined in clause 4.
“the Trust” Brooklands Museum Trust Limited (registered charity number 296661 and registered number 2109945).
“Members” Such persons as are from time to time admitted to Brooklands Trust Associate Membership of the Trust by the Committee.
“the Trustees” The persons who are from time to time the directors and trustees of the Trust.
“the Secretary” The person elected by the Committee to be the Secretary of the Committee.
“the Administrator” The persons employed by or on behalf of the Committee to undertake administrative work for the Brooklands Members as required.

A person includes a corporate or unincorporated body. Words in the singular include the plural and in the plural include the singular where the context so requires. A reference to one gender shall be interpreted to include all genders.

2 Introduction

Under clause 13.08 of the Articles of Association of the Trust the Trustees may establish a class of Associate Members being supporters of the Trust and may delegate to a committee of Associate Members such powers authorities and discretions for establishing and regulating such committee and its activities”.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Brooklands Members lies wholly within the Trust but is managed by its own elected Committee and its members are Associate Members of the Trust.

3 Aims and Objectives

3.1 To promote interest in and support for the charitable objects of the Trust and to raise funds through subscriptions and other activities to support the work of the Trust.

3.2 To promote value to Members by means of events, publications and communications, talks and other activities.

4 Associate Membership

4.1 The Committee shall from time to time after consultation with the Trust determine the levels of membership available to Members and the Trust shall from time to time consult with the Committee to determine the subscription rates for each level of Associate Membership”.

4.2 Every person on becoming a Member shall be deemed to agree to these Rules and to accept the decisions of the Committee.

4.3 Any Member may retire or resign from his or her membership by written notice to the Secretary at the Museum, but shall not be entitled to any refund of any unexpired portion of their subscription.

4.4 The Committee may terminate the Membership of any person whose subscription has not been received within three months after falling due for payment and may also terminate or suspend the Membership of any person who in its opinion has contravened these Rules and/or the Code of Conduct as published from time to time or, who has brought the name of the Trust into disrepute. Before the Membership of any Member is terminated other than for failure to pay subscriptions due they shall be given an opportunity to explain their conduct to the Committee either in writing or in person and may at any hearing have one other Member present.

5 Subscriptions, Benefits and Levels

5.1 Subject to any subsequent alterations in the levels of membership in accordance with Rule 4.1 the current levels are:

Standard membership: Free entry* to the Museum.
Young - One Member under the age of 22.
Individual - One Member.
Double - Two Members.
Family - One, or Two Members and up to three children under 16.

* During normal opening hours, but is subject to a surcharge on days when there are “Premium events” where the entry fee is greater than the usual Museum entry charge

Premium membership: Free entry to the museum, entry by the Campbell gate**, Access to the Members’ Bar/Lounge***
Club Two Members and up to three children under 16 and two others.,
International Club, restricted to 2 visits per annum.
Complimentary Club, with no voting rights.
Corporate Club, for 6 named persons.
Life Club, for the life of the member and partner.
Honorary Club, for the life of the member and partner.

** Except on event and other days published from time to time and on weekdays unless driving a historic vehicle.
*** When open on such days and times as advertised.

5.2 The annual Subscription for each class of membership shall be payable in advance to the Museum. It will become due for renewal on the anniversary of joining in each year.

5.3 All Trustees and paid Museum staff shall be Complimentary Members and the membership ceases when they leave.

5.4 The Committee shall have the power to select individuals to be awarded Honorary Membership, and will set and maintain the criteria for such awards in agreement with the Museum. In agreement with the Committee the Museum may award Complimentary Membership for a number of years and at a grade to be specified at the time of such award.

5.5 Additional benefits for membership will be published from time to time.

6 Committee

6.1 The Committee shall consist of up to 14 Members of which 10 will be ordinary Members and 4 will be officers: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition one of the Trustees and the Museum director or a nominated deputy shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Committee but shall have no vote. The Committee may request the presence of the Administrator at its meetings but such staff will have no vote.

6.2 The Committee shall appoint from its number the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer each to serve for three years before retiring, or being reappointed. The Committee will not appoint a new Chairman without having consulted the Trustees and considered the Trustees’ responses.

6.3 At each AGM one third of the ordinary Committee Members shall retire or if their number is not three or a multiple of three the number nearest to one third must retire but shall be eligible for reelection.

The members of Committee retiring by rotation shall be those longest in such office. If more than one third shall have been appointed at the same time, those to retire shall be determined by lot.

6.4 No ordinary Committee Member shall serve more than nine years consecutively, and no Committee Member retiring under this provision may re-join the Committee by election or cooption until the AGM after the one at which such retirement took effect. The Committee Member term limit will not apply to a Committee Member who is appointed to one of the four Officer positions before the expiration of his/her term as an ordinary Committee Member, but that person will retire from the Committee on the expiry of that appointment.

6.5 The Committee shall have power to co-opt an individual without voting rights to the Committee. A co-opted member of the Committee must resign at the following AGM but shall be eligible to stand for election at that AGM. Notwithstanding any of the above, the absolute limit of elected and coopted Members and officers of the Committee must not exceed 15.

6.6 A member of the Committee shall cease to be a Committee Member if he or she becomes incapacitated or is absent without consent from all meetings of the Committee within a period of 4 consecutive months and the Committee resolves that his or her membership of the Committee shall be vacated.

6.7 Nominations for the Committee must be proposed and seconded by Members and duly signed by the Proposer, Seconder and person being nominated. Nominations must be submitted in writing to the Secretary not less than 42 days before the AGM. The details of all nominees for election and the procedure for voting must be circulated to all Members not less than 21 days before the AGM.

7 Conduct of Meetings

7.1 Committee Meetings

7.1.1 Save in an emergency, the time and place of a Committee meeting, and the agenda therefore, shall be circulated to all Committee Members and others entitled to attend Committee meetings not less than 7 days before that meeting.

7.1.2 The quorum for a Committee meeting will be seven voting Members

7.1.3 In the absence of the Chairman, the Committee will be chaired by the Vice Chairman: in the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, an Acting Chairman will be appointed from those Committee Members attending the meeting and will have the same voting and other powers relating to the conduct of the meeting as has the Chairman

7.1.4 Summaries of the decisions made at Committee meetings may be made available to Members on request to the Secretary.

7.2 General Meetings
 

7.2.1 The Committee shall each year hold an Annual General Meeting.

7.2.2 For the AGM, the notice period shall be 90 days, and the notice shall include a call for nominations for election to the Committee and a call for submission of resolutions to be considered at the AGM. The details of candidates for election and, resolutions which are to be considered at an AGM, must be circulated to all Members at least 21 days before the meeting.

7.2.3 The AGM shall receive reports from the Chairman and Treasurer, including an income and expenditure account for non-subscription revenues and expenditures for the last financial year and the balance sheet. The income and expenditure account and balance sheet shall have been approved by the Committee and by a duly appointed Officer of the Trust prior to the Annual General Meeting.

7.2.4 Additionally a General Meeting may be called by the Committee, or by the requisition of not less than ten per cent of all the Members from time to time having the right to attend and vote at General Meetings.

7.2.5 At least 21 days’ notice shall be given to Members in writing of a General Meeting specifying the place, the day and hour of meeting and the business to be conducted including the details of any resolutions which are to be considered at that meeting and method of voting.

7.2.6 The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of such notice by, any person shall not invalidate any resolution passed or proceeding held at any meeting.

7.2.7 Save as otherwise provided in these Rules, decisions of an AGM or any other General Meeting shall be by simple majority vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice Chairman, or such other person as shall have been appointed as Chairman of the meeting shall have a second and casting vote. The conduct of such meetings shall be in the discretion of the Chairman. All persons having a current membership card shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting.

7.2.8 A quorum for a General Meeting shall consist of 40 Members having the right to attend and vote at a General Meeting. No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum is present.

7.2.9 Voting for all Committee elections and on resolutions put before General Meetings may be by electronic or postal vote. The minimum number of ballots to be cast for an election or a resolution to be valid shall be 5% of the number of Members eligible to vote. If the number of ballots cast on such a vote is less than 5% of the number of Members eligible to vote, the results of that election or vote must be put to the members present at the relevant General Meeting for ratification. The ratification of the results of such a vote or election at a General Meeting shall be by simple majority. If the results of such a vote or election are not ratified by a vote at a General Meeting, that vote or election will be declared null and void, and must be re-run in accordance with these rules.

7.2.10 No poll shall be demanded on the election of a Chairman of the meeting, or on any question of adjournment, or matter not previously given due notice to members entitled to vote.

7.2.11 Any Member requiring copies of the minutes of a General Meeting may obtain these from the Administrator.

8 Finance
 

8.1 The Committee shall ensure that:

8.1.1 Accounting records and books are kept in respect of all financial dealings of the Committee or of Members acting under its direction or authority.

8.1.2 Annual statements of account for all dealings under 8.1 are prepared and agreed with the Trust in time for presentation to the Annual General Meeting.

8.2 The Committee will ensure that a bank account is maintained for the purposes of the BTM’s financial transactions. The Committee shall agree who shall be the authorised signatories for that account and the level(s) of expenditure that can be incurred without further authorisation (“Bank delegation of authority”)

8.3 The Committee will authorise and issue a “Expenditure Delegation of Authority” which details who can incur expenditure on behalf of the Committee and the limits in terms of value and nature of that authorised expenditure.

8.4 Committee Funds

8.4.1 The funds of the Committee, arising from all subscriptions and donations which are benefiting from Gift Aid and bequests shall be paid to the Trust and applied towards the general expenses of the Trust and such other projects agreed from time to time between the Committee and the Trust.

8.4.2 All other funds (for example money raised from a dinner or other functions) shall be paid into an account in the name of the Trust or Brooklands Limited but designated “Committee A/C” operated by the Committee at such bank as the Trust shall from time to time determine. All payments drawn on such account must be agreed by one person designated by the Committee and the Administrator of the Committee or if there is no Administrator at the time by two persons designated by the Committee.

8.4.3 All funds received shall be accounted for in the accounts prepared in accordance with paragraph 8.1 and any payments received by the Trust that includes money due to the Committee A/C shall be forthwith transferred to that account.

8.5 Funds received and held by the Committee shall be applied in furthering the aims and objects set out in Rule 3. Where such funds are to be applied to a specific project the Minutes must clearly record details of the project and authorised expenditure for the avoidance of doubt at a future date.

9 Code of Conduct
A Members’ code of conduct as amended from time to time by the Committee, shall be displayed in the Member’s bar, available to members, and available on request from the Administrator or Secretary.

10 Dissolution
The Committee may be dissolved by the Trust (a) if the Committee acts outside the Aims and Objectives as set out in Rule 3 or (b) if the Members have with a two thirds majority of the Members present and voting resolve to dissolve the Committee in General Meeting the Members having been given proper notice that this resolution would be put to that meeting.

Kevin Lee.

Hon Secretary. November 2019