ASSOCIATION RULES

ASSOCIATION RULES

OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION RULES [last updated 14 December 2021]

 
1. Title
 
The full title of the Association shall be “The RYA National Merlin Rocket Restricted Class Owners’ Association”. For convenience, ‘Merlin Rocket Owners’ Association’ (MROA) or ‘Association’ may be used.
 
2. Association Objectives
 
The objectives of the Association are to further the interests of the National Merlin Rocket Class (hereafter referred to as the Merlin Rocket Class or Class) and to govern the affairs of the Class subject to the jurisdiction of the RYA.
 
3. Membership
 
There are three classes of Membership, Full, Associate and Honorary Life.

(i) Full Membership shall be open to any owner or part owner of a boat in the Class, upon payment of the prescribed subscription.

(a) Each Full Member shall be entitled to one vote at a General Meeting, or in a ballot.

(b) A maximum of two Full Members are eligible to vote per boat.

(c) A Full Member is eligible to only one vote, irrespective of the number of boats owned.

(ii) Associate Membership of the Association shall be open to any person interested in the affairs of the Merlin Rocket Class, upon payment of the prescribed subscription. Associate Members shall not be entitled to vote.

(iii) Honorary Life Membership in recognition of exceptional service to the MROA may be recommended by the Committee for confirmation at a General Meeting. Honorary Life Members shall retain all rights of a Full Member.
 
4. Management
 
(i) The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee made up of Members of the Association. The committee shall comprise Officers, with support from other Committee Members. Information on these roles, their term and their election are detailed in Table 1.
 
(ii) With the exception of the Chairman and Vice Chairman roles, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt Members of the Association to the Committee to support it in its affairs during the year either as Officers or other Committee Members with confirmation through election at the subsequent General Meeting.
 
(iii) Vacant Committee positions, or committee positions coming up for election or re-election shall be communicated to the Membership
 

Table 1 - MROA Committee Organisation

Role

Description

Term 

Election

Notes

Chairman

Responsible for presiding over meetings, ensuring that meetings run smoothly and remain orderly. Works to achieve consensus.

2 years   

Elected by the committee following each general meeting, or the first committee meeting after the date the AGM was due to be held.

Shall be an existing member of the committee.

May not serve consecutive terms.

Vice Chairman

To support the Chairman in their duties

May not serve consecutive terms.

Honorary Treasurer

Shall have charge of the funds of the Association. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of the Association’s financial affairs and shall arrange for the preparation of the annual accounts and lay them before the Members at the General Meeting for approval.

3 years

Elected by the membership at a General Meeting or ballot

No restriction on re-election

Honorary Secretary

The Honorary Secretary shall keep correct Minutes of all Committee and General Meetings; and shall be responsible for communicating the decisions of the Committee to Members and others, in such terms as the Committee may prescribe.

Honorary Keeper of Records

Shall maintain an accurate record of trophy winners, the class history and a register of owners and their boats.

Honorary Membership Secretary

Shall assist the Honorary Secretary in matters concerned with Membership and Subscriptions, and the Honorary Keeper of Records in matters of the Register of Owners and their boats and shall keep records compliant with the government data protection regulations.

Other Members of the Committee

Role descriptions to be detailed outside of these rules.

Elected by the membership at a General Meeting or ballot

As deemed to be required by the committee.

No restriction on re-election.

 

 
5. Principal Events
 
(i) The Committee shall arrange the Annual Championship of the Class. The results shall be calculated in accordance with current RYA recommendations and upon such conditions as they may decide.

(ii) The Committee shall arrange an annual competition for the Silver Tiller, Inland Championship, Topmast Team Trophy and Vintage Wing upon such conditions as they may decide.

(iii) All matters pertaining to the Championship and other MROA competitions shall be settled by the Committee in consultation with the sponsoring Club or Clubs.
 
6. Conduct of Meetings

(i) Attendance at meetings may be physical and/or by virtual presence as agreed by the committee. The term ‘present’ shall include members physically present and members present by virtual means. The term ‘virtual presence’ shall relate to those attending through technological means.

(ii) A vote at meetings is defined as a expression of preference for a resolution and is restricted to Members with voting rights present at the meeting. This may be undertaken by a show of hands, through a ballot or combination thereof.

(iii) General Meetings shall comprise either of Annual General Meetings (AGM) or Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM). General Meetings may be convened by the Committee.

(iv) (a)The AGM of the Association shall be held each year at a venue, time and date to be decided by the Committee. Notice of the AGM shall be published at least 90 days before the event.
(b) If the AGM for reasons outside of the Associationa’s control is unable to take place, the Honorary Secretary shall call an EGM during the same calendar year as that in which the AGM should have been held. Notice of the EGM shall be published as soon as practical.
(c) If, it is not possible to complete all the business of any meeting, the meeting may be reconvened at a later time or date. Notice of the postponement should be notified to Members, as far as practicable, by an appropriate method to be determined by the Committee. The time and date of the reconvened meeting shall be selected, after consultation at the meeting, by the Chairman, or in the absence of the Chairman, the Honorary Secretary.
(d) Individual technological issues associated with virtual attendance shall not be a reason for delaying, postponing or cancelling a meeting.
(e) Technological issues affecting a majority of virtual attendees shall be a reason for delaying, postponing or cancelling a meeting.

(v) An EGM may be called by the Committee upon receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a request in writing signed (or electronically signed) by not fewer than 50 Full Members of the Association. Notice of an EGM shall be provided by the committee to the membership no later than 30 days following receipt of this request.

(vi) (a) Every resolution to be moved at the AGM shall be signed by a Proposer and Seconder (who shall both be Full Members) and served upon the Honorary Secretary at least 63 days (exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served) before the date of the meeting at which such resolution is to be moved.
(b) Every resolution to be moved at the EGM shall be signed by a Proposer and Seconder (who shall both be Full Members) and served upon the Honorary Secretary in accordance with the timings laid out in the Notice (typically 63 days).
(c) The Honorary Secretary shall serve notice and agenda of Committee Meetings at least 10 days and of General Meetings at least 14 days before the relevant meeting (exclusive of the day on which it is served and of the day for which it is given).
(d) The Chairman shall have the discretion to accept amendments to a resolution that do not significantly affect the spirit and intent of any formal resolution admitted to any meeting. The exact wording and clear indication of the amendment shall be voted at the Meeting prior to a vote on the amended resolution.

(vii) At any Meeting, decisions shall be by a majority vote, except that at General Meetings, alterations to the Association Rules or to the Measurement and Construction Rules shall only be made:
(a) after due notice has been given
(b) provided at least 40 Members with voting rights are present and
(c) provided that the vote in favour consists of not less than three-quarters of the Members present with voting rights who voted.
(viii) At any Meeting the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

(ix) A poll may be undertaken physically, digitally or a combination of both as specified by the Committee.

(x) For those physically present at a Meeting, voting shall be by a show of hands unless a ballot:
(a) is demanded by no fewer than one quarter of the Full Members present, or
(b) is ordered by the Chairman of the Meeting.

(xi) For those present via video link, voting shall be by digital polling means during or immediately following the Meeting.

(xii) Those not present are not be entitled to vote.
(a) At General Meetings, 25 Members with voting rights shall form a quorum which may conduct all of the business of a General meeting except for any changes to Association Rules or to the Measurement and Construction Rules which require 40 full members to be present.
(b) At Committee Meetings, 5 Committee Members shall form a quorum.

7. Authority of Members
 
All actions and decisions of the Committee and of any Officers of the Association shall be subject to any directive which may be given by the Full Members of the Association at the General Meeting.
 
8. Subscription
 
The Annual Subscription payable by the Full Members and Associate Members and the date on which it should be payable shall be fixed at the General Meeting.

The subscriptions due, as agreed at the General Meeting shall be detailed in the Yearbook and on the Merlin Rocket website.

The Subscriptions will cover the period of the calendar year and should be made payable to the Merlin Rocket Owners’ Association (MROA) and sent to the Hon. Membership Secretary whose name and address is listed at the front of this Yearbook.
 
9. Accounts
A copy of the Accounts of the Association will be sent to any Member, on request to the Honorary Treasurer.


Owners Association


Developed & Supported by YorkSoft Ltd

Contact

Merlin Rocket Owners Association
Secretary