'The Club for Sea Canoeists'

COMMODORE: Jeff Jennings
SECRETARY/ TREASURER: Jamie Fergusson

CONSTITUTION

1. NAME: The name of the club shall be the 'Maatsuyker Canoe Club'.

2. OBJECTS
(a) To encourage all facets of blue water sea kayaking and develop specialised techniques and equipment.
(b) To affiliate with such other bodies, associations, or organizations as may from time to time be appropriate.

3. STANDARDS:
(a) To encourage and maintain high standards in canoes/kayaks and canoeing. To promote safe boating practices as they apply to sea canoeing.
(b) To assist members in obtaining and exchanging skills and knowledge in all facets of sea canoeing to the stage where they would be considered safe to lead trips to Maatsuyker Island.

4. ACTIVITIES:
(a) The club shall run trips on the sea, at least one every two months.
(b) Trips will be held in each of the three parts of the state at least every twelve months.
(c) For the purpose of this statement, the state will be divided by lines radiating from Miena to Low Rocky Point, Green's Beach and Schouten Island.
(d) The club shall conduct training programmes from time to time.

5. MEMBERSHIP:
(a) Club membership shall be open to any person who is proposed by a member of the club at a club meeting and fulfils the conditions laid down in the rules of the club.
(b) New members will sign the club register, indicating they have read the constitution and rules and understand that the Maatsuyker Canoe Club is a specialised Sea canoeing Club.
(c) Members must take part in three (3) multiple day club trips a year to retain membership. After five (5) years continuous membership members will have to undertake at least one trip per year.
(d) If a person turns up for a scheduled trip and it is cancelled because of bad weather, this can be counted as one of the three trips necessary for membership.
(e) If a person fails to attend three (3) trips in a year, continuation of membership for that person will be discussed at the next Annual General Meeting.
(f) An Additional Club Trip (as compared to a Scheduled Club Trip) can be counted as 1 of the 3 needed per year to maintain membership if; (i) there are 3 or more Club Members on the trip. (ii) notification of all club members has occurred two weeks before the trip. (iii) the trip follows the same criteria as any other Club Trip.
(g) It is possible to retain membership if a member has not done three trips per year, as long as a fair and justified reason has been put forward to the club. This must be agreed upon by the majority of Club Members. Examples of a fair and justified reason - Medical illness or injury, Pregnancy, Overseas trip.

6. MANAGEMENT:
(a) The day to day affairs of the club shall be conducted by the executive committee, who shall be responsible to the general meeting.
(b) The executive committee shall consist of such office bearers as laid down in the rules and all office bearers shall be elected at the AGM.
(c) Any casual vacancy shall be filled at a special meeting.

7. MEETINGS
(a) General meetings shall be held from time to time, at least one in each calendar quarter, preferably in conjunction with a club trip.
(b) The AGM shall be held in March each year. Annual membership subscriptions shall be payable at the conclusion of the AGM.
(c) Special meetings shall be called by the Secretary on his/her own, or on receiving a petition from at least five members, to consider specific matters. The meeting shall be called within fourteen (14) days of receiving the petition and all members will be notified by mail at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting, informing them of the time, place, and agenda. Only life members and financial members at the time of calling the meeting shall be entitled to vote at the meeting.

8. CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT:
(a) The constitution shall be amended at a general meeting on the vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of members.
(b) Members shall have at least four (4) weeks written notice of motion(s) to amend this constitution.

9. WINDING UP:
(a) The affairs of the club shall be wound up at a special meeting by the resolution of a majority of the financial membership.
(b) In the event of the club being wound up, the executive committee shall dispose of the clubs property and assets by distribution among members at the time of winding up.

10. DEFINITION:
(a) For the purpose of this constitution BLUE water shall be deemed to be salt-water - not including estuaries and enclosed bays.
(b) Sea trips shall be conducted on blue water.
 

CLUB RULES

1.   Annual subscription shall be $20

2.   Executive committee shall consist of -
(a) Commodore
(b) Secretary
(c) Treasurer

3.   Office bearers shall consist of -
(a) Mould manager(s)
(b) Newsletter Editor
(c) Assistant Editor
(d) Training officer

4.   Any or all of the positions in 2 and 3 may be combined,

5.   Alterations to the rules shall be made only by two thirds of a general meeting, and members shall have at least fourteen (14) days notice in writing of such motion(s).

6.   Trip leaders shall be members who are deemed competent to safely lead trips to Maatsuyker Island. If there is any doubt about a members qualifications, he/she shall be asked to lead a trip to Maatsuyker Island.

7.   Paddlers should book into trips at least by the preceding Thursday night, or the trip will be cancelled.

8.   The scheduled date for a club trip may be altered at the discretion of the leader provided 4 weeks notice is given to all members.

9.   Persons wishing to go on major club expeditions who are not members must attend at least one overnight trip prior to the expedition. This condition may be waived if the person is from interstate and if a member has first hand knowledge of that persons experience.

10.   All meetings will be held on islands (not including mainland Tasmania) whenever practical.  The AGM shall be held on an offshore island.