NAME

1. The club will be known as the Yeovil Model Railway Group, hereinafter referred to as “The Club”.  It is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (‘CIO’).

OBJECTIVES

2. The objects of the Club are to advance public education and foster a general interest in model railways, railways and allied pursuits, and in particular to encourage a high standard of modelling amongst the members of the Club.
To achieve this, the Club will endeavour to:
a) Build a model railway layout or layouts to a variety of agreed scales to the best standards possible within the Club membership;
b) Assist members with their own modelling;
c) Improve members’ abilities and skills, especially junior modellers;
d) Exhibit and demonstrate to the general public; and
e) Carry out such other activities which, in the opinion of the Committee, will contribute to the above objectives.

MEMBERSHIP

3. The following membership options are available:
a) Full Membership which will be open to any person over the age of 25. Subscriptions will be set as an annual rate with no additional charge for attending weekly meetings at the club room. Full members will also have full voting rights and after a “probationary” period (usually six months) be eligible for keys to the club room. Family Associate membership will automatically be conferred on any family members residing at the same address. If space allows, full members can request to have private layouts at the club room for an additional fee in agreement with the Committee (see Section 19);
b) Full Membership is also available, on the same terms and conditions as (a) above, at a discounted rate of 50%, for those between 18 and 25 years of age;
c) Honorary Membership which will be open to any person over the age of 18. This membership will be bestowed on any one recognised by the Committee for past support but will not have voting rights.
d) Associate Membership which will be open to any person over the age of 18. Subscriptions will be set at a reduced annual rate but there will also be a meeting charge due for every time they attend the club room, with the exception of General Meetings;
e) Family Associate Membership which will be open to any person over the age of eighteen, as defined in (a) above. No subscription is payable if visiting the club room with the related Full Member (at the discretion of the Executive Committee); and
f) Junior Associate Membership which will be open to anyone from the age of 11 to 18. Those below the age of 15 must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian whilst at the club room. There will no annual subscription rate but there will be a nominal meeting charge due for every time they attend the club room, with the exception of General Meetings.
Only Full members have voting rights, are able to have keys to the club room, and are able to have private layouts at the club room.

4. The Committee shall have the right to refuse or cancel membership with justifiable reason. In the event of a dispute this will be decided by an Extraordinary General Meeting.

MANAGEMENT

5. The Club will be run of behalf of the Trustees by a Committee consisting of the Honorary Officers of the Club (termed “The Executive Committee”), and one representative (the “Layout Co-ordinator”) from each active Club project (excluding private layouts). This is termed “The Full Committee”. Nothing shall prevent the above-mentioned Layout Co-ordinator also being an Honorary Officer;

6. The Honorary Officers shall comprise the following posts: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Facilities Manager and Publicity Manager. These officers must be Full Members of the Club, and they shall be elected at the AGM; they shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election.
a) Duties of the Chairman – Responsible for chairing meetings of the Committee and formally representing the Club to other societies and the public;
b) Duties of the Secretary – Responsible for general Club administration, organising the General Meetings and Committee Meetings, taking official minutes and circulating copies;
c) Duties of the Treasurer – Responsible for keeping the Club’s financial accounts, submitting accounts to the Independent Examiner for approval and circulating approved copies to the membership prior to the AGM;
d) Duties of the Facilities Manager – Responsible for the upkeep of the club room and holding lead responsibility for liaison with the club room’s landlord; and
e) Duties of the Publicity Manager – Responsible for updating the Club’s website and Facebook pages, as well as traditional publicity.

7. The Committee shall be empowered to co-opt other members of the Club for specific purposes relevant to the Club.

8. Three members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

MEETINGS

9. An Annual General Meeting, for which fourteen clear days’ notice must be given, will be called by the Trustees, no later than three months after the end of the relevant Financial Year.

10. At an AGM or EGM, six Full Members or 25%, whichever is the greater, will comprise a quorum.

11. During an AGM all voting shall be by a simple majority ballot. In the event of a tie the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

12. Extraordinary General Meetings are to be called in writing, giving a minimum of one week’s notice, by the Committee, or after a request for such a meeting by 10% of the voting membership. In the latter case, the general meeting must be called within 21 days of the request.

FINANCE

13. The Club’s Financial Year shall be determined by the Trustees. The Treasurer will present a statement of the previous year’s financial activity at the Annual General Meeting;
a) The Annual Subscription shall be due by the end of the relevant Financial Year and subscription rates shall be recommended by the Treasurer but determined and set at the AGM; and
b) A proportional rate of subscription will be set for those joining the Club part way through the Financial Year, at the discretion of the Committee.

PROPERTY

14. The Club will own the layout(s). The term “layout” is deemed to include baseboards, track work, scenery, wagons, coaches, locomotives, electrical devices (attached to or required to operate the layout) and sundry other items donated to, or paid for by, the Club.

15. On the dissolution of the Club, and following the payment of all outstanding debts, the remaining assets will be offered, in the first instance, to a like minded model railway club (see Clause 29 of the CIO Constitution).

16. Members will be free to use their own rolling stock (if suitable) on the layout(s). Due regard for this stock must be made by other members and ownership must be respected.

17. Members are urged to take all reasonable care of Club property. Specifically due to the construction of the clubrooms, both non-Electrical Powered live steam and Smoking are not allowed inside or in the immediate vicinity of the clubrooms.

18. Modifications to any Club layout must be sanctioned by the appropriate Layout Co-ordinator before commencement.

PRIVATE LAYOUTS

19. Subject to the discretion of the Committee, and if space allows, Full Members may site private model railway layouts in the club rooms, on the following conditions:
a) Private Layouts are not owned in any way by the Club and are therefore not classed as an active club project;
b) An appropriate extra subscription is paid, termed “Ground Rent”. This amount is to be agreed at a general meeting;
c) A change in membership from Full Member to Associate or Honorary membership will result in the agreement being void;
d) Other members are able to operate the layout, subject to the owner’s permission; and
e) Agreed space is subject to availability and should the Club require the space for Club projects, they will take priority.
If the Club has to move clubrooms all Private Layout Agreements will be null and void and previous agreements do not give a right to a new agreement.

ALTERATIONS TO THE RULES

20. These rules shall not be amended except at a duly constituted General Meeting called for the purpose.

21. At any meeting convened for such a purpose only members of three or more years’ standing as Full Members be eligible to vote.

Amended: 16th December 2020 Agreed at General Meeting held: 12th May 2021