Constitution and Rules

The Club shall be known as Adventure Riding Club.

1.   Objects

The objects of the Club shall be:

(a)   To encourage riding as a sport and recreation, to promote good fellowship amongst riders and to improve and maintain the standard of riding and horsemanship.

(b)  To organise training, instructional lectures, workshops and competitive events, and other activities to further the objects.

(c)  To be affiliated to the British Riding Clubs and to support and co-operate with the British Horse Society

(d)  To concern itself with any issue that will benefit the horse and horse user in the area.

2.   Membership

(a)  Members under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult member at all times and have paid the due subscription for the current period.   Honorary membership may be conferred by the Committee upon any person deemed by them to have rendered notable service to the Club.   No Junior Member may be a voting member of the Riding Club.   However, the Club may appoint a Junior Committee to discuss matters relevant to the junior membership.   This Committee may make recommendations to the Adult Committee for their consideration.

(b)   The annual subscription shall be payable on or before 1st January each year.   Any member whose subscription is later in the year cannot participate in club events until it is paid in full. Points will not be accrued until membership is paid in full.

(c)  The Committee may expel from Membership of the Club any member who has disobeyed any of the rules of the Club, or who has, in the opinion of the Committee, been guilty of any conduct derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interests of the Club, provided that before expelling him/her the Committee shall call upon him/her for an explanation of his/her conduct and give him/her a proper opportunity of answering the allegations against him/her.

3.   Administration

(a)  All powers of management shall be vested in the adult Committee consisting of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and other Committee members.

(b)  At the Annual General Meeting each year all committee members will stand down but are eligible for nomination/re-election for the following year.

(c)  The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Rules and for anything relating to the Club not provided therein and their decision shall be final and binding on the members.

(d)  The Committee may formulate bye-laws for the detailed running of the Club and elect sub-committees for any purpose authorised by the Committee.

(e)  The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy on the Committee and co-opt additional members, but any person so co-opted shall retain office only until the following AGM and then shall be eligible for re-election.

(f)   The Committee shall be able to ask for the resignation of any Committee member on a vote of no confidence from the remainder of the Committee members.

(g)  The financial year of the Club shall commence on 1st  November in each year.

(h)  The annual subscription shall be determined by the Committee.

(i)   The Committee may appoint annually a President and Vice-President, but they shall not become members of the Committee.

4.   Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in October/November in each year to transact any or all, of the following business:

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

(b)  To fill vacancies on the Committee.

(c)  To appoint an Auditor.

(d)  To deal with any matters which the Committee may wish to bring before the members and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee.

(e)  Notice convening the AGM shall be sent to the members not less than 10 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.   The accidental omission to give notice, or the non-receipt of a notice of the AGM by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.

(f)   A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee, or by a request signed by not less than 5 members specifying the business to be discussed.   Notice shall be given to members as set out in (e) above.

5.   These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual or Special General Meeting, provided that any such change is carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present, and providing that prior notice has been sent to all members stating the proposed amendment.

6.   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, subject to clauses 8 and 9 below.

7.   Duty of Care & Child Protection Policy – the Club will adopt such a policy in line with recommendations from BHS/BRC, in order to fulfil its legal (Children’s Act 1989) and moral obligation to provide a duty of care, to protect children (and vulnerable adults) and safeguard their welfare, irrespective of age, disability, gender, racial origin, religious belief and sexual identity.   In pursuance of this, the Club will appoint a Child Protection Officer and ensure that he/she, or another CRB checked person, is in attendance at any event organised by the Club.

8.  Members attending training or any other ARC events shall adhere to the relevant current BRC rules and guidance and shall be deemed to have accepted these rules if allotted a place.

(* hard hats to the minimum standard, as set out in the current BRC Rule Book, with a harness properly adjusted and fastened, must always be worn when mounted.   Skullcap hats must be worn with a silk. Fixed peak hats will not be allowed at XC events. Body protectors are recommended and must be worn at XC events. Correct footwear with a small heel must be worn whilst mounted.)

9.   Members wishing to enter Area Qualifiers or other competitions on behalf of the Club shall be made aware of the rules, both those set out by the Committee (8. above) and those set down by BRC in the current Rule Book, and shall be deemed to have accepted the rules if entry is accepted.   The Club will pay the required entry fees to BRC and if the Committee so decides, in view of the state of Club finances at the time, a contribution may be made to the fee to the organising club.

10.  In the case of dissolution of the Club any assets remaining after all debts and liabilities have been settled shall be donated to Riding for the Disabled and/or any other relevant charity that may be chosen by the Committee.