EALING OUTDOOR CLUB CONSTITUTION
As amended and adopted at the 85th Annual General Meeting of the Club held on 24 November 2025
BACKGROUND
1. The name of the club is 'Ealing Outdoor Club', hereafter referred to as 'the Club'.
OBJECTIVES
2. The objectives of the Club are:
• to organise a programme of outdoor activities for members, taking
account of their financial and physical capacities and personal
preferences;
• to engender a friendly atmosphere that allows members to experience,
enjoy, and appreciate the outdoors, and to encourage members to
develop a greater understanding and confidence in undertaking
outdoor activities;
• to co-operate with other organisations which exist to promote a greater
knowledge, use and care of the countryside and access thereto.
ACTIVITIES
3. The Club will provide for its members a regular programme of outdoor
recreational activities, chiefly but not exclusively, walking.
• The Club will aim to provide an activity on most weekends of the year
that is within travelling distance of Ealing.
• The Club will also aim to facilitate a variety of multi-day trips away,
offering the opportunity to experience other places and environments.
MEMBERSHIP
4. Membership is open to all, without restriction to sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, politics, religion or other beliefs, on the payment of an annual subscription.
5. There shall be two categories of membership: Adult member and Junior
member (under 16). Junior members must be accompanied by a parent or
guardian at all times to supervise their safety and behaviour during Club
activities.
6. Annual subscriptions shall, each year, be proposed by the Committee for the forthcoming year and voted on by members at the Annual General Meeting.
7. The membership year shall run from 1st January to 31st December.
• Annual subscriptions shall fall due on 1st January in each year.
• Subscriptions paid to the Club, by new members joining on or after 1st
October in any year, shall be valid until the end of the following
calendar year.
8. A list of members details shall be maintained by the Club's Committee.
9. Membership of the Club allows members to participate in the Club’s activities whilst being covered by the Club’s insurance. Details of the Club’s insurance policy are available from the General Secretary, on request.
10. Whilst attending Club activities, members should always act with courtesy towards each other and members of the general public.
11. Members must abide by the Club’s policy, as set out in the programme, when attending activities. For walks in the countryside, members must abide by The Countryside Code and for walks in mountain country should familiarise themselves with the information on hill walking published by the British Mountaineering Council. Members are expected to be suitably equipped for the occasion. Any leader of the opinion that a member or visitor is not adequately equipped may refuse to allow that person to take part in the activity.
12. No person or persons shall be permitted to promote within the Club any event in addition to the events advertised in the Club programme except with the full approval of the Committee.
13. Any member wishing to resign from membership of the Club may do so on provision of written notice to the General Secretary.
14. Membership of the Club shall be forfeited by any member:
• whose annual subscription remains unpaid for three calendar months after becoming due;
• who is removed from membership by a resolution carried by a majority of two thirds of those present and voting at a meeting of the Committee or, at the discretion of the Committee, of the members in a Special General Meeting.
• Reasons for removal shall include but not be limited to: Bringing the Club into disrepute; Inappropriate conduct towards fellow members and others; Using Club resources, including members’ personal data, in an inappropriate manner; Committing the Club to financial expenditure without prior authorisation by the Committee.
• Complaints or allegations of impropriety must be advised to the General Secretary or Chair of the Club, who will inform the other members of the Committee.
• If the relevant member objects in writing to being removed from membership, a proper opportunity shall be afforded to that member of attending and being heard at the next or a special meeting of the Committee at which the member’s objections will be considered.
THE COMMITTEE
15. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee of not fewer than five and not more than nine members, including three Officers and an Outdoor Secretary. The Officers shall be Chair, General Secretary and Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be accountable for the financial affairs of the Club and for maintaining adequate accounts, which shall be audited at the end of each financial year. The Treasurer shall be not less than 21 years of age at the time of election. No Committee Member shall hold more than one Officer post simultaneously. A Vice-Chair shall be elected by the Committee from among its membership.
16. A Committee Member who, having received due notification in each case, fails to attend three consecutive Committee meetings without presenting reasonable excuse, shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee.
17. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to fill vacancies due to resignation or non-election, and to co-opt an additional two members in case of need or expediency.
18. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be three members at least one of whom shall be an Officer.
19. The Committee shall meet as frequently as it considers necessary to transact its business.
20. The Committee shall have the power to appoint and dissolve such subcommittees as it sees fit.
21. The auditor for the forthcoming year shall be proposed each year by the
Committee and voted on by members at the Annual General Meeting.
22. The Committee shall have the power to nominate persons to the positions of President and (up to two) Vice-Presidents of the Club. These positions shall have no executive powers. The Committee shall review the position of President and each Vice-President on an ad hoc basis. Any proposed changes from this review shall be voted on by members at the subsequent Annual General Meeting.
23. In matters of urgency the Officers shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Committee.
24. The Committee shall have discretionary powers to deal with any matter not provided for in this Constitution.
25. Committee Members shall be elected each year at the Annual General
Meeting and those wishing to serve beyond the following Annual General
Meeting shall stand for re-election at that time.
26. No Officer shall serve in the same capacity for a fourth consecutive year, and no Committee Member shall be eligible for re-election for a sixth consecutive year.
27. Any Committee Member standing down from the Committee or failing to secure re-election in any year shall take steps to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.
GOVERNANCE
28. The financial year of the Club shall end on the 30th September in each year.
29. There shall be two forms of General Meeting of the Club, Annual General
Meetings and Special General Meetings.
30. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Club shall be held each calendar year.
• The AGM shall be held within eight weeks of the end of the financial
year.
• An agenda shall be made available to members of the Club at least seven days prior to the said AGM, along with the following documents:
• the minutes of the last AGM;
• a review of the year from the Chair;
• a duly audited financial statement and balance sheet from the
Treasurer;
• a report from the Outdoor Secretary on the activities provided for the members. These various reports listed shall cover the year to 30th September immediately past and, along with the minutes of the last AGM, may be taken as read at the AGM, during which they shall be formally adopted, subject to any amendments.
• The AGM shall elect the Officers, Outdoor Secretary and other Committee Members to serve for the forthcoming year in accordance with Paragraph 25.
• The AGM shall vote on any change of President or Vice-President proposed by the Committee in accordance with Paragraph 22.
• The AGM shall vote on the appointment of the auditor for the forthcoming year, proposed by the Committee in accordance with Paragraph 21.
• The AGM shall vote on the annual subscription for the forthcoming year, proposed by the Committee in accordance with Paragraph 6.
• The minutes of the AGM shall be available by not later than the second week in January following the said AGM.
31. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called by the Committee, or on a requisition signed by at least 20% of the membership and delivered to the General Secretary.
32. At least fourteen clear days’ notice shall be given of any General Meeting of the Club. The notice calling the meeting shall state the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting.
33. Only members of the Club shall be entitled to take part in, and vote at,
General Meetings of the Club.
34. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership, or twenty members, whichever is the least. If within forty minutes after the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned until a further meeting can be convened in accordance with Paragraph 32 above. If a quorum is not present at the adjourned meeting within half an hour after the appointed time, the members present shall form a quorum.
35. The Chair shall normally preside at Committee meetings and General
Meetings. In the event of the Chair being unable or unwilling to preside, the
chair shall be taken by the Vice-Chair, or failing this, the meeting shall elect a Chair for that meeting.
36. In all votes taken at any meeting of the Club, each member present shall have one vote. Voting shall be by a show of hands and, except where otherwise stipulated in this Constitution, shall be carried by a simple majority of those members present and voting. In the event of an equality of votes at any meeting, the Chair shall have a further or casting vote.
37. The Committee shall cause proper minutes of Committee meetings and
General Meetings to be kept.
DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
38. The Club may be dissolved by a resolution of not fewer than three quarters of the members of the Club present and voting at a Special General Meeting of the Club convened for that purpose.
39. In the event of the dissolution of the Club any assets remaining after all the liabilities have been met shall be distributed among those charities to which the Club is at that time affiliated as the members present and voting at the Special General Meeting called under Paragraph 38 shall decide. If the Club is not affiliated to any charities at that time, then the assets shall be distributed as the members present at the said Special General Meeting shall decide.
CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION
40. No part of this Constitution shall be altered in any way except by a majority of two thirds of those present and voting at an Annual General Meeting, or a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose. Proposed changes shall be notified to members at least seven days prior to the said General Meeting.
41. This Constitution shall be reviewed at least every three years.