1  Name
The Association shall be called The Veterans’ Lawn Tennis Association of Great Britain operating as Vets Tennis GB.

2  Objects The objects of the Association shall be to advance the interests of the game of tennis for players of all standards over 35 years of age and in particular:

a) to promote National, County and Club championships and other national and international competitions for individual veteran players and teams directly or in conjunction with appropriate committees or project groups of the Lawn Tennis Association;
b) to develop veterans’ tennis in the community, and
c) to employ its funds for the purposes and objects of the Association in such manner as shall be deemed to be in the best interests of the veterans’ game.

3  onstitution The Association shall be affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association and shall consist of such tennis clubs who complete the formalities prescribed from time to time for membership of the Association.

4  Qualifications for membership To qualify for membership a club must:
a) be affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association;
b) pay the annual subscription determined from time to time by the Council.

5  Subscription The annual subscription determined from time to time by the Council shall be payable in advance on the first day of October each year. Any member club whose first subscription remains unpaid for one calendar month after the receipt of notice of membership or whose annual subscription in any subsequent year remains unpaid after the 31st day of January shall cease to be a member of the Association.

6  Management
a) The Association shall be managed by a Council consisting of a President, any Vice-President(s), Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and not more than ten other Councillors. The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are designated as Officers of the Association.
b) The President, any Vice-President, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall retire each year and may offer themselves for re-election.
c) In addition to those retiring under Rule 6b), five Councillors shall retire in rotation each year and may offer themselves for re-election.
d) The Council shall at a Council meeting prior to the LTA AGM elect the Councillor who shall represent the Association at the Lawn Tennis Association for the following calendar year.
e) The Council shall have the power to appoint such committees or project groups and their chairmen as may be necessary to assist in organising the activities of the Association. The committees or project groups shall be appointed by the Council at any time during the year as may be deemed necessary by the Council. The Council may delegate any or all of its powers to such committees or project groups at its absolute discretion. It shall also have the right to disband any committee or project group which it deems at its absolute discretion is no longer required. The Chairman of any committee or project group shall have the power, with the agreement of the Council, to co-opt members from outside the Council.
f)  The Chairman of such committees or project groups shall be an elected member of the Council and shall be required to bring forward to Council any proposal agreed by the commitee.  In the event of a voe on the proposal being deemed necessary, the Chairman of the committee shall have a second or casting vote if votes are tied.
g) The Council shall have the power to co-opt to fill vacancies on the Council and such co-opted Councillors shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting but may offer themselves for re-election.
h) The Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year shall be elected by the Council at the first meeting of the Council following the Annual General Meeting.

7  Council Meetings
a)  Conduct    The Council shall meet at such times and places as it may from time to time decide but generally on at least four occasions in each year at dates to be determined by the Council. Notice of every meeting stating the business to be transacted shall be sent to each Officer, Vice-President and Councillor at least eight days before the date fixed for such meeting. A quorum shall consist of eight members of Council in person. The Chairman of the Council shall chair meetings of the Council. In his or her absence, Council members shall elect a chairman for that meeting from among those present.

b)  Resolutions of Council   Elections by the Council shall be made by a show of hands or by ballot at the discretion of the Chairman and shall be decided on a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote at the relevant meeting. In the event of votes being equal, the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote

8  Accounts The financial year of the Association shall close on the 30th day of September in each year and a statement of accounts for each year shall be prepared and completed by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Independent Examiner at least three weeks before the date set for the Annual General Meeting.

9  General meetings
a) A General Meeting of the Association shall be held annually during the months of November, December or January. Each member club shall be represented by one delegate who shall be entitled to one vote.
b) The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
i) to receive the Report of the Council;
ii) to receive the independently examined Annual Accounts;
iii) to elect the President, Secretary, Treasurer and any Vice-President(s) for the ensuing year;
iv) to elect Councillors to fill vacancies caused by retirement (whether by rotation or otherwise) or resignations or by any other cause;
v) to appoint the Independent Examiner to review the Annual Accounts for the ensuing year; and
vi) to consider motions from the Council and/or member Clubs for which due notice shall have been given.
c) Nominations and Motions:
i) The candidate for the office of President and any Vice-President(s) for the ensuing year shall be nominated by the Council.
ii) Candidates for the offices of Secretary and Treasurer and Councillors for the ensuing year shall be nominated by the Council or by any two member clubs.
iii) The Independent Examiner for the ensuing year shall be nominated by the Council.
iv) Motions to be considered may be submitted by the Council or by any two member clubs.
v) Every proposal or motion by member clubs shall be in writing and shall reach the Secretary 28 days before the meeting date each year.
d) An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association may be convened by the Council whenever it thinks fit and shall be called by the Secretary within six weeks of receipt by him or her of a request in writing by ten or more member clubs. Every such request shall specify the business for which the meeting is to be convened and no other business shall be transacted at such meeting.
e) No business other than the formal adjournment of the meeting shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum be present and such quorum shall consist of not less than ten persons present and entitled to vote.
f) All business of a General Meeting, except changes to these Rules (see Rule 14) shall be decided by a bare majority of the votes properly cast at such meeting. In the event of votes being equal, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.
g) A notice of every General Meeting shall be sent to the members of the Council and to the secretaries of all member clubs at least fourteen days prior to the date fixed for each meeting. Such notice shall specify the date time and place of such meeting and the business to be transacted and in the case of an Annual General Meeting shall be accompanied by the Report of the Council, independently examined Accounts for the past year, the names of persons nominated for election as President, any Vice-President(s), Secretary, Treasurer and Councillors for the ensuing year and any motions to be considered at such meeting. The President, or in his absence a Vice-President, shall chair any General Meeting.

10  Voting Entitlement The persons entitled to be present and vote at any General Meeting shall be the President, any Vice-President(s), Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Councillors, Life Vice-Presidents, Life Councillors and one delegate from each member club.

11  Vice-Presidents
a) Vice-Presidents The title of Vice-President may be conferred for the ensuing year for special service rendered in connection with the game provided that candidates shall be nominated by the Council and the distinction be conferred only at the Annual General Meeting each year. Vice-Presidents shall retain all rights and privileges of Council members except that he or she may not hold any office or position on the Council.
b) Honorary Life Vice-Presidents and Honorary Life Councillors Existing Honorary Life Vice-Presidents and Honorary Life Councillors shall be entitled to all rights and privileges regarding any General Meeting. As far as Council meetings are concerned they shall be entitled to receive all papers and minutes of Council proceedings but shall not automatically be entitled to attend meetings. Existing Life Vice-Presidents and Life Councillors at the date of the adoption of this Constitution shall remain until retirement.

12  Notices
a) The Association can send, make available or supply any notice, ballot paper, accounts, document, or other information:-
i) by personal delivery;
ii) by posting it to the intended recipient’s usual address;
iii) by sending or supplying it in electronic form to an address notified by the intended recipient to the Association; or
iv) by making it available on a website and notifying the intended recipient of its availability in accordance with this Rule.
b) If any notice, ballot paper, accounts, document or other information is left by the Association at the intended recipient’s usual address, it is treated as being received on the day it was left.
c) If any notice, ballot paper, accounts, document or other information is sent or supplied by the Association by post, it is treated as being received the day after if first class post was used or 72 hours after it was posted if first class post was not used. In proving that any notice, document or other information was received, it is sufficient to show that the envelope was properly addressed and put into the postal system with postage paid.
d) If any notice, ballot paper, accounts, document or other information is sent, made available or supplied by using electronic means, it is treated as being received on the day it was sent. In the case of any notice, ballot papers, accounts, document or other information made available on a website, the notice, ballot paper, accounts, document or other information is treated as being received on the day on which it was first made available on the website, or, if later, when a notice of availability is treated as being received by the intended recipient in accordance with these Rules.
e) In these Rules:
i) “address” includes a number or address used for sending or receiving documents or information by electronic means; and
ii) references to “writing” and to any form of “written” communication include references to any method of representing or reproducing words in a legible and non-transitory form whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise.

13  Expulsion
a) The Council shall have the power to cancel or suspend for such period as it may think advisable the membership of any club which does or permits any act matter or thing which the Council considers to be contrary to the best interests the Association
b) Any club whose membership has been cancelled may after the lapse of twelve months from the date of cancellation apply for its membership to be renewed. Upon receipt of such application the Council shall at its absolute discretion either:
i) renew the club’s membership under such conditions as the Council shall consider appropriate; or
ii) refuse to renew the club’s membership

14  Alteration of Rules These Rules may not be altered or amended and no new Rule shall be made otherwise than by a resolution passed by a majority of no less than two thirds of votes properly cast at a General Meeting. Any alteration, amendment or new Rule so made shall take effect forthwith unless the General Meeting by the like majority otherwise decides.

15  Lawn Tennis Association Rules Where not otherwise expressly stated, the rules, regulations and orders of the Lawn Tennis Association as published from time to time shall apply.

Last amended 7 December 2009