1. Title.
The name of the Club shall be ‘The Isle of Wight Four by Four Club’ hereafter referred to as ‘the club’.
2. Objectives.
The objectives of the club are as follows:-
- To further interest in motoring and motor sport.
- To provide members with information, advice and assistance on matters connected with motoring and motor sport.
- To watch the local administrations of the laws and regulations affecting and motor vehicles, and to report any proposed local action or scheme to the RAC MSA Ltd.
- To promote motor competitions in accordance with the Rules of the RAC MSA Ltd.
- To arrange tours, lectures, discussions and social and other meetings.
- To afford Members such benefits and privileges as it may be possible to arrange.
3. Constitution
Ladies and gentlemen of not less than 17 years of age shall be eligible for membership.
4. Management
The authority and responsibility for the transaction of the business of the club and for it’s management shall be vested in the 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 objectives for which the club is established, other than those hereby expressly directed or required to be exercised of done by the club in General Meeting.
5. Election of Officers
The President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Committee of the club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and subject to termination of office by resignation at the next annual general meeting following their appointment. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt other members as they deem necessary. The retiring officers and other members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
6. Committee
The Committee shall consist of not less than eight and not more than eighteen members , exclusive of the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee. The Committee shall elect from it’s own members a Chairman and Vice Chairman. One half of the Members of the Committee shall form a quorum.
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 he or she is willing to serve. Nominations of Candidates shall be signed by the Member proposing them.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint a Sub-Committee of not less than three persons to meet on it’s behalf in respect of any matter which is specifically referred to such a Sub-Committee.
7. Members 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 written notice of a meeting.
8. Absence from Committee
Any member of the Committee who shall, without sufficient reason, absent himself from three consecutive Committee Meeting may be called upon to resign his position upon the Committee.
9.Duties of Secretary
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to attend in person or by deputy all meetings of the Club and all meetings of the Committee and to take minutes of the proceedings. Such minutes shall be entered in a book and presented for conformation at the following meeting
10. Banking
All monies of the Club shall be banked by the Treasurer in the name of the Club, and no disbursements shall be made there from except in accordance with the form or forms authorised by the Committee.
11. Election of Members
Applications of Candidates for membership of the Club shall be submitted to the Committee by the Secretary, and the election of such candidates shall be at the discretion of the Committee. The name and address of the candidate and the names of his/her proposed and seconder, being Members of the Club, shall be stated on each application submitted to the Committee, provided that in the case of a candidate who knows no member of the Club, the Committee shall be empowered to carry out the election after proper enquiries.
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 the individual in his own correct name and be signed by the said applicant personally.
12. Membership of any other Club
If a candidate is a member of any other Club or Organisation he shall not be entitled to affiliated membership either free or at a reduced rate.
13. Provisional Members
Any candidate for membership of the Club whose subscription has been accepted by the Secretary shall become a provisional member of the Club. Provisional membership of any candidate shall only hold good until the meeting of the Committee next after payment of the subscription of such candidate.
14. Voting of Committee Meetings
Each member present at a meeting of the Committee shall be entitled to exercise one vote. The Committee shall vote by ballot if any Member presents demands. A vote of one third against any applicant for membership shall exclude from membership.
15. Subscription
Annual memberships rates are as follows:
| Full Year | Joining After June | |
| Family/couple membership | £0 | £0 |
| Single person driving membership | £0 | £0 |
Membership runs from January to January hence the rates are reduced by 50% for members joining after June.
16. Payment of Subscriptions
Any payment for subscriptions will be payable in January annually.
17. New Members
Any member who has been notified of his election and who fails to pay his subscription within one month of such notification shall be again requested in writing by the Secretary or Treasurer to pay the same, and, if he fails to make payments within fourteen days thereafter his election shall be ipso facto, null and void. No newly elected Member shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership until after the payment of his first subscription.
18. Non Payment
Any Member of the Club who has not paid any subscription due within two clear months of the date on which it became due shall be notified of the fact in writing by the Secretary or the Treasurer, and one month thereafter any member who has still failed to pay his subscription may, unless sufficient reason be shown to the satisfaction of the Committee, be taken off the Register of members forthwith. No Member whose subscription is in arrears shall be eligible to take part in any competitions organised by the Club and the Rules of the RAC MSA.
19. Resignation
Any member wishing to resign his membership shall give notice in writing of such desire to the Secretary on or before the date on which his subscription would have become due for renewal in any year, otherwise he shall be liable to pay his subscription for the ensuing year. Also 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 privileges of the membership, but he or she shall remain liable for the payment of any debts due to the Club from him or her.
20. Use of Club Name and Address
The name and address of the Club shall not be given by a Member as his address for trade, advertising or business purposes or in connection with any legal proceedings.
21. 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 his expulsion to a meeting of the Committee to be held within six weeks after the date of such letter.
Members of the Committee shall be given at least 7 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 7 days notice of such a meeting and shall be allowed to offer an explanation of his conduct verbally, or in writing and if two thirds of the Members present shall then vote for his expulsion he shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Club.
22. The Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of January 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 account duly audited showing the receipts and expenditure for the year.
b) Receive from the Committee a report of the activities of the Club during said year.
c) Elect a President and Vice-President, the Secretary and Treasurer of the Club, and if appropriate the Solicitor and Auditor.
d) Elect the Committee.
e) Settle any remuneration for the officers of the Club and the Solicitor and Auditor.
f) Decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted to the meeting as hereinafter provided.
23. Special General Meeting
A Special General Meeting may be convened by direction of the Committee, or on a requisition to the Secretary stating the business for which the Special General Meeting is required and signed by not less than 12 members. If the meeting so requisitioned is not convened within 21 days, the said (12) members may convene such meeting. 14 members shall form a quorum.
24. Agenda
When members wish a matter to be discussed at a General Meeting the text of such matter signed by at least two members shall be sent to the Secretary at least 14 days before the date of such meetings so that it may be included in the Agenda.
A copy of the Agenda shall be sent to each member at least 5 days prior to the meeting, but the fact that any member has not received a copy of the Agenda shall not invalidate proceedings. Business, which is not included in the Agenda, shall not be discussed at the meeting unless every member present is in favour thereof. Should the proposer of any motion fail to move a resolution in respect of the relevant item on the Agenda then any other member shall be entitled to do so.
25. Voting
Every person with the right to be present may exercise one vote. The Chairman shall not vote except in the exercise of a casting vote. At all General Meetings, except as provided in Rule 28, a majority of votes decides a resolution. At any General meeting any (12) members may demand a Poll, and thereupon the meeting shall be adjourned to a time and place to be named by the Chairman, and a postal vote shall be taken of all members of the Club. The decision of the members, as shown by such postal vote, shall be reported to the adjourned meeting and shall be deemed to be the decision of such meeting. The Rules relating to collective voting and proxies shall apply as in Clause 14 hereof.
26. Right to be Present
No-one can take part in General meetings unless he has been duly elected as a Member of the Club, and has paid his subscription accordingly to these Rules.
27. Observance and Interpretation of Rules
Every member binds himself to abide by the Rules of the Club, and also by any modifications thereof made in conformity with such Rules, and also to accept as final and binding the decision of the Committee in all cases of dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of these Rules.
28. Alteration 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 and (b) that the resolution proposing such alteration is carried by two-thirds of those present and voting at such General Meeting or by two-thirds of those voting should a Poll be demanded as provided for in Rule 25.
29. Events
All motor competitions organised by the Club shall be held under the Rules and requirements of the RAC MSA Limited.
Any Member convicted of any 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 expulsion from the Club under Rule 21.
30. Copies of Rules
Every member shall be furnished with a copy of the Club Rules and Regulations on election.
31. 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 shall forthwith liquidate the affairs of the Club, and if there be any surplus assets on realisation, these shall be disposed of at the discretion of the Committee.
Officials
The following section details the roles and responsibilities of Officials at events. The duties of officials are not event specific and some duties/positions are only applicable at certain types of events.
CLERK OF THE COURSE
The Clerk of the Course must be present throughout the competition and is responsible for the general conduct of the meeting in accordance with the regulations, programmes and organising permit and, in particular, he shall either directly or through his powers of delegations:
a) ensure that all relevant regulations are complied with and that all the equipment needed to do so is in hand or in use.
b) keep order in conjunction with such Police Authorities as have undertaken the policing of the meeting and who are specially responsible for public safety.
c) mark out the route or sections in the accepted manner and without ambiguity. The best way to mark out is to have a relatively few vehicles, equipped with radios, and each with a complete set of tools and materials. Individual vehicles are dropped off to mark each feature while the Clerk of the Course’s vehicle concentrates on route finding. After the route is complete, the course length must be measured and that information conveyed to the Timekeeper.
d) make a plan of the course and use marker boards to identify key points.
e) before the start, ensure that all Officials are adequately briefed and at their posts.
f) ensure that any additional instructions are issued to Competitors in a satisfactory manner.
g) arrange for all vehicles to be routed to the Scrutineering area.
h) ensure that every accident or incident involving a competing vehicle is reported to the Stewards and the Chief Scrutineer, and that the Medical Officials are informed if any Competitor is injured.
i) control all Competitors and Official’s vehicles throughout the meeting and ensure that the correct Driver is in each vehicle. Marshall the vehicles as necessary and organise the starting of Competitors.
j) the Clerk of the Course and his Assistant should expect to be out on the course, mobile and in radio contact throughout the event. They should organise the marshals with the assistance of the Chief Marshall to solve individual problems and avoid becoming too committed themselves.
k) convey to the Stewards of the Meeting any proposal to modify the programme or any report that deals with the misbehaviour of a Competitor.
l) arrange with the Secretary of the Meeting to provide all the information necessary to enable the Stewards of the Meeting to complete their report.
m) at his discretion, exclude a Competitor reported by Officials for careless or reckless driving, or for an offence for which a penalty of exclusion is specified in the regulations.
n) ensure that all equipment is removed from the site and that any losses are reported.
MARSHALLS
Chief Marshall. It is the Chief Marshall’s job to be in charge of recovery tasks and to make sure that Marshalls are aware of their duties.
Marshalls. Often a seemingly unrewarding task but it is essential to running a trial. All Marshalls must sign on, and arm bands and/or fluorescent jackets are available from the control caravan. A Marshall’s job is to carefully watch each vehicle from a designated spot and to indicate to the Finish Marshall if a vehicle has touched a cane or ceased forward motion. Marshalls should not be intimidated by any driver’s remarks or comments and in the case of query should liase with the Chief Marshall, Clerk of the Course or any other Official. A Marshall’s responsibility also means that he can halt a vehicle if he or she thinks that an accident could occur. Always liase with the Clerk of the Course.
SCRUTINEER
It is the responsibility of the Scrutineer to ensure that all vehicles competing in any event comply with the technical regulations in force for that type of event, and complete the Scrutineering cards provided by the Secretary of the Meeting.
The Chief Scrutineer may co-opt assistants to help with his duties, but must personally be involved in any decision to fail a vehicle. In the event of a vehicle failing Scrutineering, a full report of the reasons for such failure must be made to the Clerk of the Course.
Each Scrutineer who is responsible for finally approving any vehicle taking part in the event shall remain on duty until all vehicles he has approved have completed the competition.
The Scurtineers may ask a driver to undertake repairs or additions to a vehicle before the next trial or speed event he enters. A copy of the requirements is kept and any vehicle failing to have complied with the request will fail scrutineering.
All drivers must report to the scrutineer to have their vehicles checked.
TIMEKEEPER
Timekeepers at competition safaris must not accept responsibility for ensuring that the course is clear and that it is safe to permit the next Competitor to start. This decision is the responsibility of the Clerk of the Course.
In any competition which contains a timed element, it is the responsibility of the Timekeeper to supervise the Timekeeping operations, complete all necessary documents and prepare a complete set of results. The Chief Timekeeper should appoint a sufficient number of assistants to enable timekeeping operations to be carried out successfully.
STEWARDS
The Stewards of the Meeting shall not be responsible for its organisation and shall not have any executive duty in connection with the event. There must be at least two Stewards of the Meeting.
No persons should be appointed as a steward who is not experienced in motor sport. The Stewards of the Meeting shall be general power and authority to enforce compliance with the regulations and any additional instructions to drivers issued for the event.
It will be their duty to adjudicate upon any dispute or protest arising during the meeting. They may in exceptional circumstances modify the Supplementary Regulations, postpone, stop abandon or arrange for a restart if conditions require. They may also prohibit from competing any driver who or any vehicle which they consider to be dangerous or is reported as such by the Clerk of the Course or a Scrutineer and deal with allegations of careless or reckless driving.
The Stewards are empowered to suspend a competitor’s licence for 30 days in the event of their directing abusive language or behaviour towards an Official of the Meeting.
As soon as is practicable after the conclusion of a meeting, the Stewards shall, with the help of information provided by the Clerk of the Course, compile, sign and send to the MSA a report giving results of each competition, together with particulars of any accidents involving injury or damage to property, all protests lodged, action taken thereof, penalties imposed, together with any recommendations in respect of such cases.
The report should also contain the Steward’s general comments on the organisation of the meeting and the exercise of their own powers in relation thereto.
For further information on the General Rules and Regulations relating to Motor Sport organised by MSA registered clubs members should consult the ‘Motor Sports Association Competitors Year Book (Blue Book)’ published by The Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association Ltd (RAC MSA)