Club Rules and By-laws of TDLTC
From Tennis
THAMES DITTON LAWN TENNIS CLUB
CLUB RULES AND BY-LAWS
Information and Guidance for Members
The Club’s primary aims are to encourage and foster the sport of Lawn Tennis by the provision of facilities, the promotion of matches and tournaments, and social activities. The Club is affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association and the Surrey Playing Fields Association. This booklet provides information for Members about the management of the Club and guidance about conduct and etiquette. The guidance, and the Club By-laws on which it is based, are effective from 14 October 2002.
CLUB CONSTITUTION AND MANAGEMENT
1. Constitutionally, the Club is a company limited by guarantee. Copies of the Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association may be obtained from the Club Secretary.
2. The Club is run by a Committee of its Members who are Directors of the Company. The powers, appointment, retirement, disqualification and removal of Directors are set out in the Articles of Association.
3. Every year all the Directors stand down although they are eligible for re-election at the AGM. Any Member of the Club may be nominated to serve as a Director. Nominations of Directors must be made in writing and received by the Club Secretary at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Forms for this purpose are sent to Members and are available in the Clubhouse or from the Club Secretary.
4. The Committee consists of: Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Treasurer, Club (Company) Secretary, Membership Secretary, Junior Secretary, Ground Secretary, Bar Secretary, Match Secretary, Tournament Secretary, Social Secretary, House Secretary, and Assistant Club Secretary. These and/or other roles may be designated by the Committee. A Committee member may hold more than one office at the same time.
5. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Club (Company) Secretary:
- a) are ex officio members of all sub-committees
- b) should be Playing Members or should have previously been a Playing Member.
6. A majority of the Committee shall be either Playing Members or Members who have been Playing Members.
7. The Committee may invite the Club Coach, the Groundsman, or any other Member able to provide specialist advice, to meetings to provide advice about coaching, club development, tennis facilities, or any other matter.
AGM
8. Election of the Club’s Directors takes place at the AGM which is held before the end of October. Notice of the AGM is sent to each Member at least 21 days before the AGM. Accounts and any resolutions for the AGM are provided to Members at least 14 days before the AGM. A period of 15 months must not elapse without the club holding an AGM.
Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)
9. General Meetings, other than those called for the passing of a special resolution or the election of a member of the Committee, may be called giving 14 days' notice.
Rules and By-Laws
10. The Committee has the power to make Rules and By-laws for the Club so long as they are consistent with the Club’s Articles of Association and any undertaking given to the LTA and/or Sport England. If a question arises, not provided for by the By-laws, the Committee decides the question, and the Committee’s decision is binding.
11. A copy of the By-laws is posted in the Clubhouse and any member may apply to the Club Secretary for a copy. Any proposal for any amendment or addition to the By-laws should be given in writing to the Club Chairman or the Club Secretary.
Child Protection Policy
12. The Club’s policy requires all its Directors, any Member co-opted to the serve on the Committee, the Club Coach, and any other person retained by or working with the Club Coach, to complete and sign a Child Protection Declaration. The Declaration allows criminal record checks to be carried out. The Committee appoints one of the Directors, generally the Junior Secretary, as the Club’s Child Protection Officer.
EXPENDITURE
13. All Club expenditure must be approved by the Committee.
MEMBERSHIP
14. To comply with the companies acts, Club Membership and voting rights are limited to people aged 18 years or over. Children and young people aged under 18 are admitted as Junior Associates (Juniors) so long as one of their parents or guardian is a Club Member. Club membership is not transferable.
Membership Categories
The current categories of Membership are:
- Full - Able to play at club standard or above.
- Intermediate / Beginner - Limited ability to serve the ball into play and maintain a rally. Little or no previous experience of tennis, or just rusty.
- Student Full-Time - 18 to 21 years.
- Midweek - play Monday to Friday between 10am to 6pm only. No restrictions on social activity.
- Midweek Over 50 years - as Midweek above but over 50 years.
- Family Playing - One or two playing adult(s) plus one or more Junior or Student.
- Country - A playing Member or former playing Member who has moved home outside the normal traveling area of the Club.
- Social Non-Playing - use of Clubhouse, Bar and social events.
- Junior Parent - Non-playing Parent or guardian of Junior Associate.
- Junior Associate - Up to the age of 18 years. Full use of facilities but no voting rights at Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings.
- Life Member – Offered from time to time: a fixed number at a fixed fee.
- Honorary - The Committee may recommend to an Annual or an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club, Honorary Membership for any person, whether a Member or not, who has rendered outstanding service to the Club.
Additionally the Adult and Intermediate categories provide reduced subscription rates for those aged 18-21 years and those aged 21 -30 years.
Intermediate Members
15. Intermediate Members have the same rights as Full playing members. However, Intermediates are encouraged to play among their own group until Full playing standard has been attained. A free six-week group coaching course is provided at the beginning each Summer season for Intermediate Members. An Intermediate Member may at any time apply to the Club Coach or the Committee to be transferred to Full-playing status.
Applications for Membership and Renewals
16. Applications for Membership should be made in writing to the Membership Secretary by completing the Club’s application form and enclosing the remittance for the annual subscription(s) and joining fee (if any). The name and address of any person proposed for election to membership of the club shall be prominently displayed on the club premises in a part frequented by members for not less than 2 days before election.
17. Any Member who wishes to resign their Membership is asked to give 7 days' notice of their intention and to ensure that they inform the Membership Secretary before the renewal notices are sent out in early April each year.
Founder Members
18. Founder Member status is afforded to any Member who made a donation towards the purchase of the Club’s freehold, or who makes a donation to help the Club discharge the LTA loan taken to assist in acquiring the freehold. There may be annually, when Club funds permit, one or two draws of the names of Founder Members, who are still Club Members, for a cash prize of 10% of the amount of their donation.
19. The names of Founder Members, whether or not they are still Club Members, will be displayed in the Clubhouse.
20. Details of how to apply for Founder Member status, or Life Membership (when available) can be obtained from the Membership Secretary, Chairman, or the Club Secretary.
Membership: Termination, Suspension, or other sanction 21. In paragraphs 22 - 24 below all references to Members and Visitors, includes Junior Associates and Junior visitors.
22. The Committee may at it absolute discretion, terminate or suspend the membership of any Member or exclude any Member or Visitor whom it considers has breached the Club’s Guidance in respect of play, conduct and/or etiquette. The Committee may impose a lesser sanction or a warning as it sees fit.
23. Should the Committee need to investigate and consider any alleged breach of play, conduct and/or etiquette the Member(s) concerned will be notified in writing. The Member(s) may, if they so wish, provide a written note to the Chairman or the Club Secretary about the alleged breach. They may also, if they so wish, provide an oral explanation to the Committee or a sub-committee thereof.
24. Following consideration by the Committee, or a sub-committee thereof, notification of the Committee’s decision may be given orally to the Member(s) if it finds that no breach has occurred or if the sanction is limited to a warning. Notification of any other decision or sanction will be given in writing to the Member(s) who may, within 14 days, appeal the decision. In such circumstances the Member will have the right to be heard by the Committee within a further 21 days.
Subscriptions
25. Subscriptions for all categories of membership, and a joining fee where appropriate, are determined by the Committee and may be varied from time to time. Subscriptions include the LTA player’s contribution and VAT where appropriate. Current rates are shown on the membership application and membership renewal forms, copies of which are available in the Clubhouse or from the Membership Secretary. Club sections for other activities such as Bridge, Table Tennis, Golf etc may charge additional subscriptions.
26. Low income concessions: The Club Committee may at its absolute discretion:
- waive or reduce any subscription or accept payment of a subscription by instalments,
- offer free membership to any prospective new member.
27. Subscriptions become due on 1 May each year. If by 15 June a subscription remains unpaid the person ceases to be a Member but the subscription remains a debt recoverable by the Club. The Committee may, at its discretion, re-instate a Member on payment of the full arrears of the subscription.
28. Members are not entitled to any refund of subscriptions.
Subscriptions: Shoe Tags and Board Tags
29. All paid-up playing Members are provided with a TDLTC shoe tag to be worn at all times when playing at the Club. Similarly, a Board tag with the Member’s name is provided as soon as the Membership subscription has been paid1. Players who are not wearing shoe tags and/or who have not been introduced as Visitors may be asked about their right to be playing at the Club.
1Board tags are provided for all Adult playing members (other than Midweek) and Juniors who have been accorded Adult Playing Status.
Subscriptions: Matches and Tournaments
30. Any Member wishing to enter a Club tournament, play in postal tournaments, or be selected to represent the Club in any match must have paid their annual subscription before the start of the tournament or match.
Match Fees
31. A Match Fee is payable by all Members selected to represent the Club in any Friendly or League match, whether the match is played at Home or Away. Match Fees must be paid promptly to the Team Captain who is responsible for collecting the Fees and accounting for them to the Match Secretary together with the proceeds from the sale of balls used during the match.
COACHING
32. At the start of each season, six free group coaching sessions are provided for every paid-up Intermediate member.
33. Any Member may book an Individual or Group coaching session with the Club Coach. Other than for the six week course for Intermediate members or courses arranged by the Junior Secretary, payment should be made directly to the Coach.
34. The Club Coach has priority use of the caged court.
Visitors
35. Playing Members may introduce friends to play on payment by the Member of such Visitor’s fee as the Committee may from time to time determine. Payment of the Visitor’s fee (preferably by cheque payable to TDLTC) may be made to the Bar or sent to the Club Secretary or Treasurer.
36. No Visitor may be introduced on more than three days in any one year. No Member shall, directly or indirectly, introduce more than two Visitors to play tennis on any one day. Visitors may not play during the winter season without prior permission of a member of the Committee.
37. Visitors names must be entered in the Visitors Book and countersigned by the Member introducing the Visitor. It is a courtesy to ensure that your Visitor is introduced to other Members of the Club who may be waiting to play and to a Committee Member if one is present during the session.
38. Juniors should seek the Junior Secretary’s permission before introducing a Visitor. Subject to the Junior Secretary’s agreement Junior Visitors may play on weekdays before 6pm.
Guests
39. Non-playing visitors may be introduced to the ground as the Guest of any Member without payment of a fee.
Guidance on Play, Conduct, and Etiquette
40. In paragraphs 41 - 42, all references to opponents, Members, Visitors, Guests, and Spectators, includes any person under 18 years of age.
41. Lawn Tennis Association rules apply as regards play and conduct. A full copy of the LTA Rules of Tennis and the LTA Code of Conduct is available in the Clubhouse. Members are particularly asked to note the following:
- a) Tennis clothing is to be worn at all times while on court. Track suits may be worn.
- b) Purpose-designed tennis shoes must be worn on all playing surfaces. Trainers or other shoes with heels, nails, spikes, studs or wide ribbed soles are not permitted on any court.
- c) A player shall not use an audible obscenity or make an obscene or threatening gesture during a match or hit, kick or throw a racket, ball or other object in anger.
- d) The Groundsman’s decision about the use of any court must be respected.
- e) No attempt should be made to recover balls from neighbouring properties, or climb fences surrounding the Club’s grounds.
- f) Any mobile phone taken on court, or in a bag near the courts, must be switched off.
- g) Members, their Visitors and Guests, shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner which has full regard to the rights and safety of opponents, other Members, Visitors, Guests, Spectators, Tournament officials, and any Employee or Contractor.
- h) Animals are not allowed on the Club premises, including the grounds, unless under proper control and not on the courts under any circumstances.
42. Failure to respect this Guidance during any game, match, social event, meeting, or other gathering, whether on the Club’s premises or elsewhere may dealt with in accordance with paragraphs 21 - 24 above or the LTA’s Code of Conduct. Where an act is offensive or injurious to another person, the Club, or the Game, the offender may be asked leave the Club’s grounds immediately.
Access to the Courts
43. Paths must be used to get to all courts. Please do not walk across any grass court to or from the Clubhouse. When walking along the path, wait until any rally in play has finished before moving along quickly to avoid distracting the players' line of sight. Do not cycle, skateboard, or use scooters along the paths.
Balls
44. Members should supply their own balls preferably marked clearly to identify ownership. Balls may be purchased from the Bar. If a ball from another court rolls onto your court, be aware and roll it back as soon as there is a break in play on the other court. If your ball runs onto the next court, avoid walking onto that court to retrieve it while play is in progress.
Clubhouse and Bar
45. The Club holds a licence for the supply of alcohol to Members, guests and visiting members of other clubs. No person under the age of 14 may use the Club Bar Lounge. No person under the age of 18 may purchase or consume alcohol on the Club’s premises. A copy of the Bar opening hours is displayed on the Bar door. Generally the Bar is open each evening during the summer and on Friday evenings during the winter. Visitors and guests of members may be admitted to the Bar in accordance with the above restrictions as to persons under the age of 14 and 18 respectively, but only bona fide members of visiting teams, and not members’ guests, may purchase intoxicating liquor from the Bar.
46. The Clubhouse must be left in a clean and tidy condition. Do not leave any personal belongings or items in the Clubhouse or unattended in any other part of the grounds. The last person to leave the Clubhouse each day must ensure that any heater or kitchen appliance has been turned off and that all doors and windows are locked.
GRASS COURTS - NO PLAY BEFORE 1030 hrs.
47. Grass Courts may be out of service if they are damp or being rested. See the notice by court one. Please adhere to these instructions rigorously. A court can be ruined by play when the court is too damp. Grass Courts are unfit for play if:
- the surface under the grass is muddy / damp, particularly on the baselines.
- you can push your thumb into the grass and move the earth.
- you brush the grass with the back of your hand and it’s wet.
48. The Groundsman is the final arbiter as to whether the courts are fit for play or, in his absence, the Ground Secretary or another member of the Committee.
JUNIORS
49. Juniors have priority in the use of courts on:
- i) Saturday mornings during the summer season when Juniors have priority on all courts,
- ii) When organised coaching is taking place, and as specified in the Club calendar and notices at the Club.
50. When Juniors do not have priority and ALL available similar surface courts are in use Adult members may ask Juniors to vacate a court or mix in. Normal courtesy shall apply i.e. let the Juniors finish the game (not the set) before moving on court. The reverse applies; when Juniors have priority, they may ask Adults to vacate a court.
51. Please close the gates to the hardcourts when you leave the courts.
COURT RESERVATIONS
52. Any court reservations for Club/League, Individual and Postal matches must be agreed with the Match Secretary.
53. During the winter Club / League matches may only be played on Saturday mornings or Sunday lunchtimes unless a match has to take place on a date fixed by Surrey LTA. In exceptional circumstances League or knockout matches can be arranged during other hours on a Saturday or Sunday but only two courts can be occupied.
54. Individual League and postal matches on Club courts in winter must be arranged at times agreed with the Match Secretary or, in his/her absence, a member of the Committee to whom the responsibility for court reservations has been delegated.
55. A clear, easily seen, notice giving the date and time of court reservations for Club/League, Individual and Postal matches must be posted on the main notice board and at the hardcourts (when appropriate) at least five full days before the date of the match.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY AFTERNOON CLUB SESSIONS
56. Club Mix-In Sessions start at 2.30pm on Saturday and Sunday afternoons throughout the year unless a special event, e.g. the Club Championships, or an American Tournament has been advertised in advance. Singles should not be played if all available courts are in use and / or players are waiting, (unless it is a Tournament or Ladder match). During Club sessions play one set (to a maximum of 6 all) and come off court if other players are waiting. In the Summer the Board Rota System is used between 2.30pm and 6.30pm (or at other such times as the Committee may determine).
57. Board Rota System - How it works
- a) If the Board is not already set up outside the Clubhouse, the first Member arriving for the afternoon session should take the Board from inside the Clubhouse, and hang it on the hooks on the front of the Clubhouse. Please do this even if only one or two people have arrived to play.
- b) If playing, place your name tag at the TOP of the "playing" slot provided.
- c) When a court is available, the member whose name is at the bottom of the "playing" slot has the choice of selecting THREE players from the SEVEN names immediately above. The Member left at the bottom after a selection has taken place, has the next choice when a court becomes available and so on.
- d) When a four has been selected, the four name tags are taken out of the "playing" slot and put on the pegs under the number of the court to be used.
- e) Play one set (max 6 all) and return.
- f) Each Member must remove his /her name tag from the court number pegs and either:
- i) If playing again, place their name tag at the TOP of the "Playing" slot, or
- ii) If not playing, hang their name tag back on the Board in the correct order.
58.Please Note
- a) Only place your name tag in the "Playing" slot if you are going to play.
- b) If a Member declines to play when selected (for any reason) that Member’s tag is taken out of the "Playing" slot and put it back on the Board.
- c) If a Member wishes to resume playing (even after a short interval) he / she must start again at the top of the "Playing" slot.
