Standing Orders

Standing orders 

Standing orders September 2014

To be read in conjunction with the standard Rotary GB&I Club Constitution and Rotary GB&I Club Bye-Laws

1. The Rotary Club of South Queensferry shall meet weekly, every Thursday at 7.00pm, except for the last two Thursdays in December.

2. There will be a 5-minute break after the Loyal Toast. 

3. The meeting place shall be the Hawes Inn or such place as may, from time to time, be determined by the Club.

4. The governing body will be the council, constituted in accordance with the Bye-Laws.

5. In addition to the President and President Elect, a Vice President shall be elected at the Special General Meeting which must be held before 1st January each year (Nominations to be lodged with the Secretary 7 days before the SGM).

6. Six representatives shall be elected to Council from the membership at the AGM which must be held before 31st May. Notice of the AGM to be given at least 14 days prior to the AGM.  Nominations to be lodged with the secretary 7 days before the election.  Secretary  

7. A Club Directory shall be produced annually.  Secretary

8. Speakers shall be arranged at least 4 weeks ahead.

9. On demitting office, each President will be presented with his photograph wearing his Chain of Office.

10. A copy of this photograph will be retained in the Club Archives.

11. The Club must have (a) definite project(s) in mind before proceeding to raise funds.

12. Insurance

a. All insurances will be reviewed annually.  Treasurer

b. Members own vehicles and property are not covered by Rotary Insurance. Members must ensure that they check to see their own insurers will cover them when taking part in a rotary event eg towing Santa Sleigh.

13. Treasurer and Finance 

a. One or more bank accounts shall be held in the name of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry at the South Queensferry Branch of the Clydesdale Bank or such other bank as the Club may from time to time determine.

b. Approval is given to the Treasurer to sign cheques for £500 or less. Cheques in excess of £500 require to be signed by any two of Treasurer, President or President-elect. 

c. In the absence of the Treasurer, the cheque book shall be left with the Assistant Treasurer, failing whom, with the Secretary.

d. The Treasurer has the ultimate responsibility of preparing accounts for examination by the Independent Examiner, their submission, for approval, to the Club at the SGM and their submission to the Office of the Scottish Charities' Regulator within 9 months of the end of the Club's Financial Year End.

  e. Each fund-raising committee shall appoint a treasurer to collect and account for the funds raised by that committee. It is the duty of that appointee to give the Treasurer a final balance sheet of each event. (Pro forma available for this purpose on web site).

  f. The Treasurer will issue receipts for all cash received and will ask for receipts for all cash paid out.

  g. All money submissions must be made promptly, using the correct form, to the Club Treasurer.   

  h. No monetary transactions to be carried out between the bells.

  i. The Club's General Fund shall not be allowed to fall below £500.

  j. A reserve fund of approximately £1000 shall be maintained (The Charity Reserve Fund) to enable the Club to respond to unexpected requests for financial assistance.

k. Proposals for fund disbursements should be made to the Council and, if approved, be announced at the next Business Meeting.

l. The Club's Christmas gratuity to hotel staff will be paid in cash, directly, to the waiting and kitchen staff.  Treasurer

m. A Promoter (the licence holder) shall be appointed for all raffles/lotteries covered by the Local Authority Lottery Licence Form and shall be responsible for the subsequent reporting back to the Local Authority.  Council

n. A Licence Holder will be appointed by Council to be responsible for the application of all Collection Licences required by the Club, the adherence to all regulations pertaining to those licenses and the subsequent reporting back to the Council re the proceeds of collection.  Council

o. The Council will be asked to fix the level of the President's expenses at the first Council meeting of the year - payment to be made to the President before the end of November. The formula to be used, to calculate the sum due, will be the annual cost of living index.  Treasurer before 30.11

p. An Independent Examiner shall be appointed to examine the Club Accounts - This appointment to be made at the Special General Meeting. If no fee is asked, an honorarium up to a maximum of £50 (OSCR figure) may be given.

14. Membership

    a.  Members must pay for the weekly meal by cash.

    b.  Members are requested to ensure that all annual subscriptions be paid by 31st July.

    c.  Membership cards will be issued on receipt of payment.

    d.  Option whereby members can pay the annual subscription in two instalments will be retained.

    e.  There will be a joining fee for new members irrespective of the time of year they join (Currently £15 but such other fee as may be decided from time to time by Rotary GB&I).

    f.  Any member joining the Club during the period 1st Oct-31st Dec in any Rotary year shall pay three quarters of the annual subscription. Those joining during the period from 1st Jan - 31st March shall pay half. Those joining between 1st April - 30th June will pay one quarter of the annual subscription.

    g.  Cost of badges for new members to be borne by the Club.

    h.  When introducing new members, the Club will pay for the first meal, thereafter the prospective new member will pay for their own meal.

    i.  When there is more than one prospective new member being put forward, each should be interviewed individually by the Information Committee.

    j.  A copy of the Council's Information Document to be issued to all new members

    k.  New members to be allocated to a committee within a month of induction.  Council

    l.  A mentor to be appointed at the time of induction of each new member.  Council

The standard Rotary GB&I application form must be used for new applications for membership and should be obtained from - and returned to the Membership Officer.

15. Minutes

    a.  The Minutes of Service Committees are to be passed on by the Chairs to their successors.

    b.  A copy of the Club Administration Committee minutes must be given to the Club Secretary timeously.

   c.  Council minutes must be circulated to Council Members in time for the next Business meeting. The minutes to be approved at the Business Meeting.

    d.  If Council Members are unable to attend a Council Meeting they must arrange for a depute to attend or to provide the Secretary with a written report or minute.

    e.  Minutes of the previous Business and Council meetings are now circulated to all members via email prior to the Business meeting. Therefore they will be taken `as read' on the night.

16. The Social Committee should ensure that none of the events organised by the committee run at a loss. At the end of the Rotary year any surplus should be transferred to the Charity Account - Social can make a recommendation regarding the disbursement but the final decision rests with Council.

17. Reception 

a. Members are requested to familiarize themselves with the contents of the official Reception Duties list.  Members own responsibility

b. Two members to be on reception each week. They should be at the meeting place 30 minutes before the start to greet the speaker and any guests.

c. The President, during the business part of each meeting, will announce the names of those on duty at the next meeting - the first mentioned will entertain and introduce the speaker and the second named will give the Club's vote of thanks.

d. It is the duty of those on reception to ascertain if the speaker needs help with equipment.

e. If unable to attend, members delegated for reception should arrange their own substitute and should so inform the President.

f. Those on reception must ensure all visitors are introduced to the President.

g. Introduction and vote of thanks to the speaker should be brief and to the point. Maximum allotted time - 2 minutes.  All members note.

h. All speakers to be requested to confine their time to 20 minutes.

i. Club members are asked to show decorum and respect while the speaker is talking and to refrain from background chatter.  Reception officers to regulate.

j. Expenses should only be offered when the speaker has travelled a distance and has been inconvenienced to some great extent. Whether expenses should be offered, should be left to the discretion of the Speaker's Secretary.

k. Non-Rotary visitors to the Club shall be introduced to the Club as `Guests'.   

18. Leave of Absence

a. A Leave of Absence should be sought from the Club Council by any member knowing he/she is unable to attend the next 3 or more meetings.

b. Forms can be downloaded from the members' area on the Club web site.

c. Forms must have a definite start and finish date and, when approved, the Club Members will be informed of those Leave of Absence dates.

d. Leave of Absence will be confined to a period of no more than three months but this can be renewed.  Leave of Absence can not be continued into the new Rotary year without being renewed (renewal is not an option if the new season's subscription has not been paid).

e. Members on Leave of Absence should still continue to receive the informative emails etc. sent out by the secretary.

19. Attendance

a. Early Leavers. If Members have a commitment after the meeting and wish to leave early, they should so inform the President before the start of the meeting and leave before the speaker begins.

b. The Attendance Officer will issue bi-annual, individual attendance records.

c. Members whose attendance falls below 60% will be reminded of their obligations.

d.  Where members know they will be absent from a particular meeting they must inform the Attendance Officer the week before the date of absence, failing which, they must phone the hotel directly before noon on meeting day - thus allowing the hotel time to adjust the catering arrangements.

e. If apologies for absence have not been given, the absentee will be recorded as absent.

20.Trophies

a. The John Rennie Memorial Trophy shall be awarded annually to the Club member(s) who has/have, in the opinion of the incumbent President, contributed most to the wellbeing or advancement of the Club during that Rotary year. The recipient(s) of the trophy is/are to be considered as custodian(s) of the trophy and to safeguard it for 12 months, when it shall be returned to the Club for representation.  President

b. All members of the Club presented with the John Rennie Trophy will be presented with an engraved memento.  President

c. The paper weight gifted by Jim Boyd (Glenrothes) will be presented annually to the member who, in the opinion of the President for that year, has achieved most in the Club.  President

d. Other trophies. Holders of other trophies shall notify the Secretary of their possession of that trophy and any change in holder.

20. Paul Harris and Community Awards

When a person(s) is/are proposed for an award by the Club, it is important to avoid embarrassment to proposer(s) or recipient(s) through non acceptance - so, prior to formal ratification by the Club, a confidential approach should be made by the proposer(s) to the potential recipient(s) to ensure that the award would be welcomed.

21. Purchase of materials for maintenance of `Santa's Sleigh' is to be treated as an expense of fundraising and, as such, to be deducted from the income generated by sleigh collections. 

22. Rotary Branded Goods can be purchased via the sales Officer. All costs of purchase of such goods must be met in full (postage and packing).  Sales

23. The District Governor and District Secretary should be included in the circulation list for our web/social media pages.  PR/Sec

24. Partners of deceased club members should be invited to appropriate events. The onus for this will be on the organizer of the event.  All event organisers

25. The Club will foster good relationships with other organisations in the Club area.

26. On Armistice Day, poppy wreaths shall be laid in Queensferry, Dalmeny and Kirkliston by representatives of the Club.  Council to appoint representatives

27. All requests for Rotary partners to provide baking and sandwiches for a Rotary event shall be directed to the individual Club Member, not to the partner.

28. Regalia 

a.The annual purchase of regalia shall be the responsibility of Club Administration.  Sales

b.The Rotaract Insignia and Club Charter to be held in the custody of the Club Archivist.     

29. Club Policies to be reviewed annually before 31st October.

a. A Health and Safety policy shall be drawn up by the Club and reviewed annually.  Health and Safety Officer

b. A Child and Vulnerable Adult Policy shall be drawn up by the Club and reviewed annually.  Protection Officer

c. A risk register shall be drawn up by the Club and reviewed annually.  Risk Officer

d. It is incumbent on all members to observe the rules of the Health and Safety policy, risk register and Child and Vulnerable Adult policy when engaged in any Rotary event or activity.

30. An emergency procedure for informing members of good or bad news is in place.  The Secretary should be notified first of all. The Secretary will then email the members accordingly. Anyone not on email to be phoned direct.  Secretary

31. A subcommittee to be appointed annually to review standing orders and to ensure they are relevant.  Admin

32. A copy of the Standing Orders (old format), containing the historical detail of Standing Orders, has been placed in the Club Archives

Note: The person or persons responsible for actioning any of the proposals in the Standing Orders are highlighted in bold.

October 2016 NMcK