1.1.    The club shall be known as ‘THE SOUTH DEVON RIDING CLUB’ and is hereinafter referred to as ‘the club’.

2.1.    The objectives of the club shall be:

2.2.    To encourage riding as a sport and recreation; to promote good fellowship amongst riders; and to improve and maintain the standard of riding and horsemastership.

2.3.    To organise instructional meetings, lectures and other activities deemed to further the objectives.

2.4.    To work in conjunction with the British Horse Society and to support and co-operate with recognised organisations interested in the  breeding and use of all types of horses and ponies.

2.5.    To concern itself with any objective that will benefit the horse and horse user in the district, including where appropriate the investigation of rights of way with a view to opening those that have been closed, and maintaining and more clearly defining those that are in existence.

3.1.    The Committee shall consist of a  Chairman, Vice-Chairman,  Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and at the most eleven other Committee Members.

3.2.    The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Sercretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Committee from among their number.

3.3.    The Committee shall appoint the following positions each year:

1)      A Member of the Club shall act as the Membership Secretary

2)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Advertising / Press Officer

3)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Dressage Competition Co-Ordinator

4)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Co-Ordinator for any other Competitions e.g. Show, Show Jumping etc

5)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Area Competitions Co-Ordinator

6)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Lecture / Demonstration Co-Ordinator

7)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Stable Management / Riding Test Co-Ordinator

8)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Clinics Co-Ordinator

9)      A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Camp Co-Ordinator

10)  A Member(s) of the Club shall act as the Web Site Co-Ordinator

3.4.    No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within the Club.

4.1.    The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Club and the elected Committee.

4.2.    Committee Meetings shall be held as often as is deemed necessary and not less than four times per year.  In the absence of the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the members present shall elect a person to chair the Meeting.

4.3.    Five of the elected Committee shall form a quorum.  Committee Members must attend 50% of the scheduled Meetings each year, otherwise their position will be considered void, but they may re-stand for election.

4.4.    For any motion passed it must be favoured by the majority.  At both Committee meetings and the AGM everyone’s vote has equal weight, notwithstanding paragraph 4.5.  Voting will be either by a show of hands or a paper ballot.  This will be dependent upon the nature of the motion and will be decided by the Committee.

4.5.    It is not the practice that the Chairman of the Committee shall have a casting vote, although the person chairing the General Meetings shall have a deliberate and casting vote, if necessary.

4.6.    The Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy arising among the members of the committee, but any person so co-opted shall retain office only until the next following Annual General Meeting, and shall be eligible for re-election.

4.7.    The Committee may formulate byelaws for the detailed running of the Club and have the power to form Sub-Committees to deal with special projects.

4.8.    The Minutes Secretary shall keep minutes of all business transacted at official Committee Meetings.

4.9.    The decision of the Committee shall be final unles over ruled at a General Meeting.

4.10.The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the rules or anything relating to the club not provided therein, and their decision shall be final and binding on the members.

4.11.Any Officer or Committee Member who has resigned shall immediately return all papers required by the Committee to the Secretary.

5.1.    Membership of the Club shall consist of persons who have attained the age of seventeen years by 1^st January and, having been acepted by the Committee, have paid the due subscription for the relevant period.  Honorary membership may be conferred by the committee upon any person(s) deemed by them to have rendered notable service to the Club.

5.2.    Anyone desirous of becoming a member of the Club shall send his or her name and address to the Hon. Secretary or Membership Secretary on the appropriate nomination form.  The Committee shall have the right to reject any application for membership it deems unsuitable.

5.3.    The Club must make a list of Members and their addresses, which must be regularly updated with British Riding Club’s Head Office.

6.1.    Committee Members shall be elected either at the AGM or Special Meeting, if called.

6.2.    Any fully subscribed member of the club who has been a member for more than one year shall be eligible for election as an officer or member of the Committee.  If a member of the club wishes to become a Committee member they must be both proposed and seconded by fellow Club Members.

6.3.    Voting shall be done via a paper ballot at the AGM or Special Meeting, where the results will also be announced.  Those Members present at the AGM or who have sent their Apologies four weeks prior to the meeting will be entitled to vote.  A brief synopsis detailing the background of all nominated persons shall be provided on the Ballot Paper.

6.4.    Nominations must be received by the Secretary not later than two weeks before the date of the next Annual General Meeting.

6.5.    To encourage a healthy committee and to encourage ordinary members to have an input to the Club, at each Annual General Meeting, the three members who have been the longest in office shall retire; between those who have been in office for the same length of time, the members to retire shall be elected by lot.  If there are no new nominations for their posts re-election shall be automatic and their time in office restarted at zero.  Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.

6.6.    In the case of there being more nominations than there are vacancies on the Committee then the nominees with the most votes will be elected.

6.7.    If any member feels that a Committee member, in addition to the three most long standing, should stand down then this should be both proposed and seconded in accordance with other paragraphs.  A vote will then be held at either the AGM or if required at a Special Meeting.

7.1.    The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee.  In the event of the Club ceasing to exist all assets are to be sold at full market rate and arrangements will be made for all monies to be held in trust by British Riding Clubs until such time as the Club may wish to re-form.

7.2.    Trophies shall be offered for competition not less than once a year.  The winner of any trophy shall give security for its safety.  Should any trophy be returned in a damaged condition, the expense of the repair shall be the liability of the member concerned.  This does not, however, include fair wear and tear.

8.1.    The annual subscription to the Club shall be payable on 1^st January of each year.  Any membership whose subscription is more than four weeks in arrears shall have his or her name automatically removed from the membership list.

8.2.    The annual subscriptions charges shall be determined by the Committee annually.

8.3.    The financial year of the group shall commence on the 1^st November each year.

8.4.    The accounts of the Club shall be audited each year by the auditor appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting.

8.5.    The treasurer shall keep and maintain an accurate system of accounts showing a complete record of all income and expenditure, the assets and liabilities of the Club.  They shall, at the end of each Financial Year provide a Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account for that year.

8.6.    Anyone organising an event on behalf of the Club must be accountable to the Treasurer for producing Income and Expenditure Sheets, complete with all necessary receipts, within a reasonable period after the event.

8.7.    The Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Club, but may not incur financial liability beyond the funds of the Club.

8.8.    No Committee Member(s) shall be personally liable for any debt of the club howsoever caused or through the negligence of any other Committee Member or Member.

9.1.    The committee may expel from membership of the group any member who has wilfully disobeyed any rules of the Club, or who, in the opinion of the Committee, has been guilty of any conduct derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interests of the Club, provided that before expelling him or her the Committee shall call upon him or her for an explanation of his or her conduct and shall hear what he or she may wish to state in in his or her defence.

10.1.The Annual General Meeting shall be held in November / December of each year and each member shall receive Notice at least six weeks prior as to the time and place of the Meeting.

10.2.At the AGM the following business will be transacted:

1)      To receive, and if approved, adopt a statement of the Club’s account to end of the preceding year.

2)      To fill any vacancies on the committee and conduct elections. Nominations for the Committee must be received at least four weeks before the AGM.

3)      To appoint an auditor.

4)      To deal with any special matter that the committee may desire to bring before the members, and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee, to be received at least 2 weeks before the Meeting. 

10.3.The rules of this Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have passed unless carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present and voting thereon, and provided that prior notice has been sent to all members stating the proposed amendment.

10.4.A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee, or by request signed by not less than 10% of the Club members specifying the business to be discussed.  The secretary shall give all members ten days notice of such a meeting, and shall specify in such notice the matters to be dealt with at the meeting.

11.1.The Club, its Committee, or persons acting on their behalf, shall not be held responsible for any accident or injury to any person or property, howsoever caused.

11.2.Members should be appropriately dressed at all Club events.  Hard hats must be worn at all times whilst mounted and conform to the standard as recommended by British Riding Clubs.  Body protectors are compulsory for Cross Country Riding.

12.1.In the case of dissolution of the Club, all assets are to be sold at full market rate and arrangements will be made for all monies to be held in trust by British Riding Clubs until such time as the Club may wish to re-form.

13.1.The payment of Membership Subscription shall be an implied agreement on the part of a Club Member to abide by the Rules and Constitution of the Club.