Club Rules – Demijohns Cricket Club

In December 1983 Adrian Hawkes drafted a set of Club rules for discussion by the Committee. These were eventually updated and circulated to all Club members with the 1986 Newsletter, where they were introduced thus:

“Finally the time has come to produce some updated Club rules. (How many Demijohns know we had any, I wonder?) A copy of the revised rules forms the tail-piece of this Newsletter; they will be presented to and perhaps even approved by our next AGM on 11th April. Yet another reason for a record turn-out?”

These rules have not been followed since at least the turn of the century, since when the Club has been run by the unfettered judgement of the Committee.

The 1986 rules were:

The Club shall be called “The Demijohns Cricket Club”.
The objects of the club are to play cricket in accordance with both the letter and spirit of the game as laid down by the Marylebone Cricket Club, to promote the best interests of the game whenever an opportunity presents itself and to further promote contact between Members.
The Club colours shall be Oxford blue with a treble stripe of Cambridge blue, champagne and chocolate.
The number of playing members in this country shall not exceed 50, exclusive of
1. Members resident abroad and social members paying subscriptions in accordance with rule 12; and
2. Such honorary life Members as may from time to time be elected in accordance with rule 9.
The affairs of the Club will be managed by a Committee consisting of a President, a Vice-President, an Honorary Secretary/Treasurer, the Keeper of the Records and up to three elected Members of whom at least one should be a Match Manager. All meetings of this Committee shall be convened by the Treasurer and Honorary Secretary either at his discretion when he deems a meeting to be necessary, or at the request of two or more Committee Members.
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the first four months of each year, at which the Honorary Secretary/Treasurer and one Member of the Committee shall retire and the vacancies be filled, both being eligible for re-election. Names of candidates for any vacancy shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary by not later than two weeks before and if received in time shall be circulated with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting. Members shall be given not less than 21 days notice of the Annual General Meeting and the Annual Report and Accounts must accompany that notice.
Extraordinary General Meetings may be called at any time and for any business by the Treasurer and Honorary Secretary on the authority of the Committee. Members must be given not less than 14 days notice of such Extraordinary General Meeting, the Notice to specify the general nature of the business to be transacted at that meeting.
At any meeting of the Committee three members, and at any general meeting six members, shall be required to constitute a quorum.
Election of Members shall be in the hands of the Committee. Candidates for membership shall be proposed by a Member and seconded by another Member, the candidate being known personally by both the proposer and seconder. The election shall be by ballot, a simple majority sufficing. In the event of any candidate not being known to any member of the Committee such candidate shall be required to play up to two qualifying matches as a candidate. It shall not be permissible to put forward for a second time the name of any candidate once rejected. It will lie at the discretion of the Committee to elect honorary life Members. The Honorary Secretary/Treasurer shall notify the proposer in the event of rejection of a candidate.
Subject to rule 9, at every General and Committee Meeting of the Club, every member present, including the Chairman shall have one vote. Upon equality of votes for and against any motion, that motion shall be declared lost.
Any motion proposed at a General Meeting under the head of “Any Other Business” which involves expenditure of the Club’s funds in excess of £10.00 in the aggregate may be disallowed at the Chairman’s discretion unless prior notice in writing of at least 28 days has been given to the Treasurer and Honorary Secretary.
The annual subscription, due on 1st March, shall be at the following rates:
1. Playing members resident in this country: £5.00 for Members over 30 and £2.50 for others;
2. Members resident abroad for 12 months of any year: £1.00;
3. Social Members: £1.00
The Committee shall have authority to arrange matches and appoint a Match Manager.
If a Match Manager does not receive an answer to an invitation to play within two weeks from the invitation, such invitation shall be considered cancelled, the Manager being at liberty to make other arrangements.
In the event of the Committee considering any Member’s conduct detrimental to the Club for any reason, they may call upon him for an explanation, and if not satisfied, or if no explanation is forthcoming, call upon him to resign. The Committee shall have power, in the event of a resignation under this rule not being forthcoming within 28 days, to annul such Member’s election.
These Rules shall be alterable only in General Meeting of the Club, at least 28 days notice of any proposed alteration being given to the Honorary Secretary/Treasurer in writing. On receipt of such notice he shall be caused to be circulated to all Members full particulars of such proposals.
Club funds may, at the discretion of the Committee, be invested in premium bonds or any other investment of any kind. Each premium bond prize received shall be applied as to the first £500 thereof (or such lesser sum as the Committee may decide) by adding the same to Club funds and as to any balance thereof by distributing such balance between those Members of the Club who prior to the date of the drawing of the prize had paid the appropriate annual subscription last due before the date of such drawing. The basis of distribution shall be for each such Member one share for each year or period of years, ending with the year in respect of which he has paid the subscription which qualified him to participate in the distribution in respect of each of which he has (prior to the date of the drawing of the prize) paid his appropriate annual subscription but subject to a maximum of five shares for each Member. Premium Bonds bought and investments made under the powers conferred by this rule may be held in the name of the Honorary Secretary/Treasurer or such other person or persons as may be nominated from time to time by the Committee.