-----

This Constitution is the body of Rules and Regulations by which the Thoroughbred Sports Car Club of Northern Ireland is regulated. The rules are divided into five sections as follows :

Club name and objectives.

Membership.

Management.

Conduct of meetings.

Rules relating to events.

1.0 Title

The name of the Club shall be, "The Thoroughbred Sports Car Club of Northern Ireland", hereafter referred to as "the Club".

1.1 Objectives

The Club exists to:

(a) Foster interest in the use, preservation, and restoration of thoroughbred sports cars;

(b) Foster interest in motoring and motorsport;

(c) Watch the local administration of the laws affecting motoring and motor vehicles, and to report any proposed local action or scheme to the Motor Sports Council;

Promote motor competitions in accordance with the Rules of the Council;

Arrange tours, lectures, discussions and social and other meetings;

(f) Afford Members such benefits and privileges as may be possible;

(g) Provide Members with assistance, advice and information on matters connected with motoring and motor sport.

1.2 Use of Club Name and Address

The name and/or address of the Club shall not be given by any Member as their address for any trade, advertising, business purposes or in connection with any legal proceedings.

1.3 Alterations of Rules

Any alterations may be made in these Rules by a General Meeting, provided:

(a) that details of the proposed alteration or alterations are included in the Notice of the General Meeting, to be given at least two weeks beforehand; and that

(b) the resolution proposing such alteration be carried by a majority of those entitled to vote.

This sub-section sha11 not apply to section 5 (Events and Competitions), where Rule changes shall be effected by the Committee, unless such proposed changes are opposed by two-thirds of the Membership present at a General Meeting.

1.4 Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved by a Special General Meeting convened by direction of the Committee, or on the requisition of the majority of the Members. If the resolution of dissolution be duly passed, the Committee may, forthwith, appoint an Auditor to liquidate the affairs of the Club, and if there remains any surplus assets on realisation, these shall be disposed of at the discretion of the Committee.

2.0 Eligibility

Membership shall consist of the following four categories;

(a) Life Members (b) Honorary Members

(c) Ordinary Members (d) Junior Members

2.1 Election of Members

Applications for Membership of the Club shall be submitted to the Committee in session by the Secretary, and the election of such candidates shall be at the discretion of the Committee.

Membership of the Club shall continue only for the period covered by the current subscription, and Members shall be subject to re-election annually, by the Committee.

All applications must be made by an individual in his/her own correct name and be signed by that applicant personally.

2.2 Provisional Membership

Any applicant for Membership of the Club shall, on acceptance of their subscription, become a Provisional Member of the Club. Provisional Membership shall only hold good until the next meeting of the Committee after the payment of the subscription of that Provisional Member.

2.3 Admission Voting

A vote of one-third of the entire Committee against an application for Membership shall exclude that applicant from Membership.

2.4 Subscription

Annual Membership subscription shall be proposed by the Committee and approved by a majority at the Annual General Meeting.

2.5 Payment of Subscription

Payment of subscription falls annually and is due on the First of January.

2.6 Subscription Non-payment

Any Member of the Club who has not paid their subscription within two clear months of the date on which it falls due shall be assumed to have resigned from the Club.

2.7 Resignation

Any Member ceasing, voluntarily or otherwise, to be a Member of the Club, shall thereafter cease to have any claim upon the property of the Club or to enjoy any of the privileges of Membership, but shall remain liable for the payment of any debts due to the Club.

2.8 Honorary Membership

The Committee may elect as Honorary Members any person or persons who have been distinguished in promoting the cause of motoring in general or of the Club in particular, subject to ratification at the next General Meeting.

2.9 Expulsion of Members

It shall be the duty of the Committee if at any time they shall be of the opinion that the interests of the Club so require, by letter, to invite any Member to withdraw from the Club within a time specified in such letter, and in default of such withdrawal to submit the question of their expulsion to a full meeting of the Committee, to be held within six weeks after the date of such letter. Members of the Committee shall be given seven days notice that a question of withdrawal or expulsion is to be discussed at a meeting of the Committee. The Member whose expulsion is under consideration shall be given at least seven days notice of such a meeting and shall be allowed to offer an explanation of their conduct verbally, or in writing and if two-thirds of the whole Committee shall then vote for his expulsion, they shall at once cease to be a Member of the Club.

2.10 Observation and Interpretation of the Rules

Every Member binds themself to abide by the Rules of the Club and also to any modifications made in conformity with the Rules and to accept as final and binding the decision of the Committee in all cases of dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation.

2.11 Access to the Rules and Regulations

Every Member shall have access to the Club Constitution on election to Membership.

2.12 Property of the Club

Any badges, property and/or equipment issued to a Member by or for the Club shall remain the property of the Club. On termination of their Membership, Members shall deliver up such property to the Secretary.

3.1 Management

The authority and responsibility for the transaction of the business of the Club for its management shall be vested in a Committee, who, in addition to the powers and authorities by these rules expressly conferred on them, may exercise all powers and do all acts in furtherance of the objects for which the Club is established, other than those hereby expressly directed or required to be exercised or done by the Club in General Meeting.

3.2 Election of Officers

The President and Vice-President/s of the Club and Treasurer, Secretary and Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, subject to termination at the next Annual General Meeting following their appointment.

3.3 Committee

Nominations of Candidates for election to the Committee must be received by the Secretary not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting, with an intimation in writing signed by each Member nominated that they are willing to serve. Nominations of Candidates shall be signed by the Member proposing them.

The Committee shall consist of not less than eight and not more than eighteen Members, exclusive of the President and Vice-President/s, who shall be ex-officio Members of the Committee. The Committee shall elect from among its Members a Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt other Members as they deem necessary.

The Committee may appoint, from outside the Membership of the Club, an Auditor and/or a Solicitor.

The Committee shall have the power to appoint a Sub-Committee of not less than three persons to meet on its behalf in respect of any matter which is specifically referred to the Committee.

One quarter of the Members of the Committee shall form a quorum.

3.4 Meetings of the Committee

The Secretary, either of his own accord or by the direction of the Chairman, shall, unless otherwise agreed by all the Committee, give at least seven days notice of the holding of a Committee Meeting.

3.5 Absence from Committee

Any Member of the Committee who shall, without sufficient reason, absent themselves from three consecutive Committee Meetings may be assumed to have resigned from the Committee.

3.6 Voting of Committee Members

Each Member present at a meeting of the Committee shall be entitled to exercise one vote. The Chairman shall not vote except in the exercise of a casting vote. The Committee shall vote by ballot if any Member present so demands.

4.1 The Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of November in each year upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the Committee.

The Annual General Meeting shall:

(a) receive from the Committee a full statement of accounts which may be audited, showing the receipts and expenditure for the year ended 30th October;

(b) receive from the Committee a report of the activities of the Club during the said year;

(c) elect the President, Vice-President/s, Secretary and Treasurer of the Club;

(d) elect the Committee;

(e) decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted to the meeting as provided for in these rules.

4.2 Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting may be convened by the direction of the Committee, or by the Secretary on the requisition of at least ten percent of the Members of the Club.

4.3 Agenda

When Members wish a matter to be discussed at a General Meeting, the text of that matter, signed by at least two Members, shall be sent to the Secretary at least fourteen days before the date of such meeting so as to be included in the agenda of that meeting.

A copy of the agenda shall be sent to each Member at least five days prior to the date of the meeting, but the fact that any Member has not received a copy of the agenda shall not invalidate the proceedings.

Business which is not included in the agenda, under the item "Any Other Business" shall not be discussed at the meeting unless every Member present is in favour of the discussion taking place.

4.4 Voting

Every Member with the right to be present may express one vote. The Chairman shall not vote except in the exercise of a casting vote. At all General Meetings, except as provided in sub-section 1.3, a majority of votes decides a resolution.

4.5 Right to be Present

No one can take part in General Meetings unless they have been duly elected as a Member of the Club, and has paid their subscription according to these Rules, except in the case of persons outside the Membership who have been appointed by the Committee to act on the Clubs behalf.

5.1 Events

All motor competitions promoted by the Clubs shall be held under the Rules and Regulations and requirements of the Motor Sports Association as determined by the current Blue Book, except where amended by the Committee in session.

Any Member convicted of an offence arising out of his being in charge of a motor vehicle in any Club event or on Club business shall thereupon be liable to instant and irrevocable expulsion from the Club, under sub-section 2.9.

5.2 Event Rule Changes

Changes in the following rules may be effected by the Committee without reference in the first instance to General Meeting, but nothing in this sub-section shall subjugate or mitigate the provisions of sub-section 1.3.

5.3 Legality of vehicles

All vehicles must be road legal where applicable.

5.4 Class structure for Year 2000

The class structure for all Club competitions will be –

Class 0 Open Fun Class

Class 1 Classic, Vintage and Veteran cars in production pre-1960.

Class 2 MG Midgets and Austin Healey Sprites, unmodified.

Class 3 All other road-going sports cars, l958 to present day

Class 4 Minis and derivatives

Class 5 Saloon cars in production pre-1975.

Class 6 Modified and non-road-going sports cars.

Class 7 Hot Hatches in production pre-1990, up to 1600cc, 12 valves.

Class 8 Junior Class as defined by the Motor Sports Association.

The minimum number of entries per class per event will be three. If this number is not reached then classes may be amalgamated as necessary.

Sprints, hill-climbs and races will be run on a handicap basis in line with MSA Regulations.

All other events will be run on a scratch basis.

The championship will be based on an overall points system.

Only Classes 1, 2 and 3 qualify Members for the Club Championship.

Separate awards will be made on a Class basis.

Members must nominate one car before each event to receive Club Championship points.

More than one car entered in any event will be eligible for separate Class awards.

Cars modified during the season may be re-classified, but points will be allocated for each class.

The championship will consist of a multi-disciplinary range of events, including sprints, races, hill-climbs, navigational rallies, trials and autotests, as nominated by the Committee at the commencement of the season.

The Club will not produce a definitive list of eligible vehicles, which will be at the discretion of the Committee whose ruling will be final.