Cavalier and Chevette Club

Rules and Constitution - Ratified October 2019.

Welcome to the Cavalier and Chevette Club
Your friendly Vauxhall - Opel Club since 1994
© Cavalier and Chevette Club 2023 We acknowledgement to Vauxhall Motors Ltd
1. Purpose of the Club 1.1 The Club shall be known as The Cavalier and Chevette Club, and referred to hereafter as ‘the Club’ 1.2 The Club is for the owners or those interested in the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1, Mk.2, Mk.3, Chevette, Chevanne, and related Vehicles manufactured between 1974 and 1995. This includes the Opel Kadett ‘C’, Ascona ‘B’, Ascona ‘C’ and Calibra, plus other General Motors variants from outside Europe. 1.3 The purpose of the Club is to promote the preservation and/or restoration of the types of Vehicle the Club has been founded for. 1.4 It will provide an opportunity for members with a shared interest in the Vehicles to gather together. The Club aims to be a recognised authority on Chevette, Chevanne and Cavalier. 2. Club Management 2.1 The Club shall be managed through a Committee of elected Officers who will serve the best interests of the Members and the Club for twelve month periods. 2.1a In line with insurance requirements, no Officials shall have any unspent criminal convictions or bankruptcy. 2.2 These Officers, subject to their individual approval, can be re-nominated and re-elected for further twelve month periods. 2.3 Should and if at any time an elected Officer wishes for whatever reason, to relinquish their position, then this must be done in writing to the Club Secretary, or in the case of the Club Secretary to the Chairperson. In this situation the Committee may elect a replacement Officer in an ‘acting’ role until the next elections are due. 2.4 The Committee will have up to nine (9) members. The Committee positions will include the following four (4) defined Executive roles in order of seniority: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, there will be up to five (5) elected Members 2.5 A Committee member must attend or input suggestions for each meeting for at least three (3) consecutive meetings, unless physically unable to do so by illness or death, otherwise they will be asked to step down from the Committee with immediate effect. 2.6 The Committee will meet as necessary to ensure the efficient running of the Club 2.7 The Quorum for the Committee is that there must be as a minimum either the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson or Secretary present. At least four (4) Committee members must vote for a proposal to be approved. In the event of a split decision the Chairperson will have the casting vote. The term “Chair” here denotes the Chair of that Committee meeting. Should the actual Chair of the Club be absent from the Committee meeting, for whatever reason, the Chair of that meeting will be one of the four Executive Officers noted in 2.4. The Chair for the meeting will be based on the Seniority given in 2.4. 2.8 Minutes will be retained for all Committee Meetings. Minutes will be typed up, signed as agreed by the person chairing the meeting and backed up electronically after they have been accepted by the next Committee meeting. 2.9When voting on the day to day running of the Club, a majority vote will carry a proposal. 2.10 The Committee will be empowered in the best interests of the Club to select/nominate a personage to serve as Club President or Patron, subject to the mutual agreement, for a term of office determined by the nominee. 2.11 Day to day operations of the Club will be managed through a number of Club Officer and Duty Club Officer posts, roles to be defined by the Committee. 2.12 Members appointed in these roles will not automatically become Committee Members. Members will be appointed to these roles by the Committee. These roles do not require annual election. This will enable members to get involved in the running of the Club, if they are interested and have time available 2.13 A member may hold both a Committee and Club Officer role at the same time. 2.14 Both Committee and Club Officer positions are on an unpaid voluntary basis. Members will not receive any payment for their contribution, other than expenses that have been approved by the Committee as necessary for the running of the Club and in the best interests of the Membership. Any extraordinary expenses must be pre-approved by the Treasurer and at least one of the other three main Officers of the Club, where possible. Should this prove impossible, the action which leads to such extraordinary expenses must follow, (if necessary because of time constraints), an extraordinary meeting of the Committee which may pre-approve the action and extraordinary expenses although not a full Committee meeting, subject to 2.6 above. 2.15 Copies of the Job Description for all posts form an Appendix to these Rules 2.16 All Committee Members and Club Officers will sign and operate within the terms of a Confidentiality Agreement in order to protect the best interests of Members. These Forms will be held by the Club Secretary with the exception of the Club Secretary’s, which will be held by the Chairperson. 3.Financial Management 3.1 Full, open and accurate accounts of all the Club’s financial affairs will be maintained in a secure system 3.2 Financial reports will be reported at every Committee meeting and the Club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). 3.3 A copy of the verified account reports will be published annually. 3.4 The Committee will set out plans for expenditure of Club funds on an annual basis. 3.5 Funds will be allocated in line with the priorities of the membership of the Club, this will usually cover as a minimum spares, Club Magazine/Newsletter and Events. 3.6 There will be three Committee members with the authority to sign cheques. There will always be a minimum of two signatures for each transaction, including the Treasurer’s other than in exceptional circumstances 3.7 The Committee shall be empowered to decide annually an agreed minimum reserve amount to be held in the Club’s bank account. 3.8 The Committee shall be empowered to agree annually a maximum sum that can be dispersed by the Treasurer without the agreement of another Executive Officer (subject to provision under 3.7). 4. Club Membership 4.1 All Memberships shall run for a period of twelve months from the date of joining. 4.2 The club shall not charge new members a joining fee 4.3 The Club name shall not be used by any member as their address for trade advertising or business purposes or in connection with any legal proceedings. 4.4 Any person offering to be a Committee Member who is not a member but is connected to the Club by association of a member can become a member for £1.00 per year whilst they are in office giving them full voting rights at a Committee Meeting and AGM. 4.5 There will be no refunds of membership fees if a member leaves the Club for whatever reason part way through the year. 4.6 The rate of membership fee will be reviewed annually and proposed to the membership at the AGM. 4.7 The Committee shall be empowered in the best interests of the Club to accept or reject all applications, with no reasons being given as to that acceptance or rejection of applications being made, except that the Committee meeting at which such action was taken will be minuted and therefore open to view by the full membership 4.8 Expulsion of a member of the Club from its membership will only be taken in extreme circumstances, such as bringing the Club into disrepute or similar, should these circumstances be such that this is the only course that can be followed. The member will be notified, and no refunds in whole or part of subscriptions being made. 4.9 The Club is owned and run by all its members jointly through the arrangements detailed above. 4.10 All Club assets belong to the Club, and must be recorded. Any person holding Club assets should draw up a Record of Wishes regarding these assets and how these should be activated in the event of leaving the Club, mental incapacity or death. A copy of this document shall be held by the Club Secretary. 5. Services available to Members 5.1 The Club will endeavour to provide the following services to its members: Social Media, Spares Advice, Technical Advice, Club Magazine/Newsletter, Organised Events including Car Shows and Road Runs, Local Contacts through Area Contacts, Information on Vehicles, Merchandise and incentives as required. 5.2 The Club will hold an Annual General Meeting. This will be advertised through the Club Services and Member-only social media not less than 21 days prior to the meeting 5.3 The quorum for an AGM/EGM must include 2 out of the 4 Executive Officers of the Committee and not less than 5% of the eligible voting members 5.4 The Chairperson of the Meeting will have the deciding vote should there be a split vote 5.5 The Agenda will make provision for AOB but serious or contravention matters should be notified in advance to the Secretary to ensure inclusion at the relevant priority within the Agenda 5.6 In exceptional circumstances an EGM will be called by the Committee. Members will be given not less than 10 days’ notice by whatever means available. 5.7 Club trophies remain the property of the Club and shall be returned to the Secretary on demand. 6. Expectations of Members 6.1 To preserve the Club in good name by promoting pride of ownership, road craft and general goodwill publicly. 6.2 To make good use of the services on offer. 6.3 To support the club in whatever manner personal circumstances allow. 6.4 To promote the Club to other owners or people interested in the cars, whenever possible. 6.5 To discuss any issues or ideas for improvement in the Club, its services or events attended through Area Contacts or Committee Members. 6.6 Every Member is bound to abide by the Rules and Constitution of the Club. They will also accept as final and binding the decision of the Committee, in all cases of dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of these Rules. 7. Amending the Rules and Constitution of the Club. 7.1 The Club Secretary will make draft amendments to the Rules and Constitution, which shall be subject to a ballot vote via the Membership at the next AGM/EGM. 7.2 The amended Rules and Constitution will then be signed off by the Club Secretary and either the Chair/Vice Chair or Treasurer once ratified. 8. In the Event of Cessation of the Club 8.1 In the event of the cessation of the Club, winding up or demise in any way, all or any properties remaining in the Club shall be disposed of in an open and fair manner. Remaining funds shall be donated to a registered charity as agreed by the remaining Committee. 9. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). 9.1 Membership of the Club and acceptance of these Rules by the Members will constitute consent to the holding of relevant personal data on a database that shall be kept for scientific and historical purposes. 9.2 This information shall be held in a secure location and only shared with the Membership Secretary and Elected Committee Members for services to Members and under no circumstances will this information be sold or posted on to third parties, except as required by the law.