ANNESLEY WOODHOUSE
WMC
MODEL RULES
2021

1. The Society shall be called the Annesley Woodhouse Working Men's Institute and shall be 
non-sectarian and nonpolitical. Its objects shall be to afford opportunity for mutual advantage 
recreation and improvement and (subject to by-laws made by the Committee) for supplying members 
with refreshments.

2a. The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Committee up to a maximum of nine, 
three of which shall retire annually, along with the President Secretary Treasurer and Vice 
President who shall be elected annually. Their term of office shall commence and terminate on 
January 1st each year. The retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. No 
person shall be allowed to serve on the Committee for more than three years without being 
re-elected unless there are insufficient serving Committee persons to meet the requirement of nine 
(9)
2b. If there are not enough to form a management Committee of nine, then the business of

the Club shall be determined by the existing members of the Committee. If after the annual 
nominations are received the Committee is still less than nine (9), then annual elections for the 
Committee shall not be necessary. Each Committee person shall be allowed to continue in his or her 
position until such time that an election is necessary. Until that occurs the three, (3) year rule 
for elections is superseded. If there are no nominations received for the posts of President, 
Secretary and Treasurer, then the existing officials are eligible to continue serving in their 
positions without an election

2c GENERAL MEETINGS - ORDINARY MEETINGS

(1) There will be an annual general meeting held each year to be held not later than the 31st of 
March or as soon as possible after the arranged date.

The business of the annual general meeting shall be to receive the account or accounts and balance 
sheet or balance sheets as audited if required, and the report of the auditor on the revenue 
account or accounts and balance sheet. At the annual meeting a report for the year shall be 
presented by the managing committee. At each ordinary general meeting the purpose of the meeting 
shall be to consider such other business as may be submitted by the managing committee or any 
motion to be proposed by a member of which at least seven days' notice has been given to the 
secretary in writing. On receipt of such notice the secretary shall add it to the agenda posted in 
the club.

The auditor shall be entitled to attend any general meetings of the club and to receive all notices 
of and other communications relating to any general meeting which any member of the club is 
entitled to receive and to be heard at any meeting which he attends on any part of the business of 
the meeting which concerns him as auditor

3. Any person male or female wishing to become a member of the Club must complete an application 
form that shall give the applicants name and address. The application must be handed onto the 
Committee for scrutiny. The appropriate subscription fee must be paid in advance with the 
application form. If the application is acceptable then he or she will be accepted as a full member 
and be supplied with a membership card for the year and supplied with a membership identification 
number. If the application is not accepted, then the fee will be returned to the failed applicant. 
Members can apply for a door key-fob if desired. Only full/honorary members shall be allowed to 
vote in any general meetings of the Club.
4. Candidates for membership must not be less than18 years of age, this rule to be strictly 
enforced. Upon attaining the age of 65 with 3 years of membership service men/woman members will be 
eligible to become honorary members of the Club
5. The membership fee shall only make the member eligible between Jan 1ˢᵗ to 31ˢᵗ December of each 
year. The member has from January 1ˢᵗ to March 31ˢᵗ of any year to renew the membership after that 
a penalty fee will be charged.
6. Member’s annual subscriptions shall be such amounts as the Committee from time to

time determine and shall be paid in such times and in such a manner, as the Committee shall direct.

7. The Committee for the time being shall be empowered to conduct all business, to expel members or 
refuse membership, to employ servants and to enforce such regulations as may be requisite to carry 
out the objects of the Club.
8. Any member or visitor/s becoming intoxicated or misbehaving and are annoying or being abusive to 
staff or members, or who are otherwise causing a disturbance will be liable to expulsion. The Bar 
manager/ or his/her servant/ Committee member is empowered to expel or remove any such person from 
the Clubroom and the premises at the time of such misconduct or by the officials or Committee upon 
such notice of misconduct and serve a suspension until the alleged misdemeanor can be dealt with by 
the Committee The Committee at the next meeting will determine if it is necessary for disciplinary 
action to take place following a full report from the Bar Manager/Committee person.. Any member who 
is subjected to disciplinary action by the Committee will be given the right to appeal to the 
Committee for his or her case to be heard.

Members must always be courteous to the bar staff and must not be abusive in any way. If members 
have any complaints about the staff, then the complaint must be raised with the bar manager or an 
Official or Committee person. Members shall not complain to the bar staff on decisions made by the 
Committee.

9. Gaming betting and the use of bad language are STRICTLY prohibited and the Committee most 
earnestly urges all members to aid them in enforcing this rule.

10. All damages done to the property of the Club shall be paid for by the offending member/visitor. 
No member shall take away from the Club or injure or destroy newspapers, books, periodical, or 
other article being the property of the Club
11. Every member must be able show his or her subscription ticket or membership card to any officer 
or servant of the Club requiring him or her to do so.

12. A 'Visitor or visitors shall subscribe to become an associate member for the day. They must 
sign the visitor's book and pay the appropriate subscription for that day’s membership. Upon 
signing in the visitor(s) shall receive a subscription receipt, which must be always available 
during that day for scrutiny. Once they become members for the day they must abide by the rules of 
the Club. A member for the day will be allowed the same facilities as a full member. This allows 
them to purchase drinks from the bar.
The visitor(s) shall be allowed to participate in any of the Club's activities for that day and 
receive parity of a full member if successful in any of the Club's gaming facilities. They must 
however be able to produce their subscription ticket to claim any prize if asked to do so.
Associate members shall have no voting rights in any capacity. No person who has been refused 
application for membership and whose admission the Committee shall have objected to will be allowed 
as a 'Visitor.
13. This Club shall be open between the hours of 00.00 - 12.30am and 11.00 – 00.00

Monday to Sunday. The Committee shall be empowered to open and close the Club within the framework 
of this rule.

14. A special meeting of the members shall be called on a requisition signed by ten full members 
qualified to vote, specifying the object of the meeting, and giving seven days’ notice of such a 
meeting
15. The Committee shall meet at a time nominated by the Committee or in the case of normal business 
meetings left to the discretion of the Secretary. Special Committee meetings may be called at the 
request of three members of the Committee. Such a request must be delivered to the Secretary at 
least two days before the date and the object specified for consideration at the proposed meeting. 
A minimum of three (3) members of the Committee shall form a quorum. The majority votes shall 
decide all questions duly brought to the Committee. The Chairman shall have the casting vote in 
addition to his or her vote as a member of the Committee. In the event of rule 2b applying to the 
Club's constitution then rule 16 shall also apply.

16. The Committee meetings may be attended by all the existing Committee, Trustees plus
(3) member representatives if elected by the membership. The member representatives shall be 
allowed to attend and oversee the Committee meetings; they will have the right to put forward 
suggestions to the Committee meetings on behalf of the membership. The member's representatives 
shall not be allowed a vote at the meetings.

17. The Committee shall cause the accounts of all business carried on by the Club to be entered 
into proper books. They shall cause a statement of accounts with all necessary vouchers up to the 
end of the month of November in each year to be laid before the auditors not less than 10 or more 
than fifteen days before each Annual General meeting of the Club. There shall be laid before such a 
meeting such a balance sheet signed by the Auditors showing receipts and expenditure, the assets, 
and liabilities. The Auditors shall make to such meetings a report on the balance sheet so laid 
before them and in case they do not adopt the same or any part thereof shall specially report 
thereon to such a meeting. Any member of the Club desiring to see the books of the Club may do so 
on applying to the Secretary stating the object of his application.

18. The Bar manager/his or her servant must not supply any member with refreshments during 
prohibited hours

19. Any infraction of the rules, regulations or by-laws of the Club shall be taken immediate 
cognizance of by the Committee, who shall have the full power to decide action thereon and such a 
decision shall be final
20. No addition to, nor alteration, nor abolition of the forgoing rules, nor the rules to be here 
after framed, shall be made except at a general meeting of the members and notice of such intended 
addition, alteration or abolition shall be given at least seven days before such a general meeting.

21.The Committee shall have power at its sole discretion to vest the whole part of the property of 
the Club, in trustees upon such trusts and subject to such as to the management or otherwise and 
with such powers of disposition for the purpose of sales, exchanges, mortgages or leases or 
otherwise as the Committee may think fit and may direct the acquisition or disposal of any property 
required or not required for the purpose of the Club and in every case where at the foot of any 
deed or document it is certified by three persons appearing to be the Secretary and two members for 
the time being of the Committee of the Club that the document has been executed in accordance with 
the directions of the Committee or a resolution of the Club such certificate shall, in favour of 
any person acquiring any interest in property for valuable consideration in money or money's worth, 
and subject only to express notice to the contrary, be conclusive evidence that the contract is 
binding on the Club and every member thereof. Two (2) Trustees shall be appointed annually by a 
vote of the members present at the Annual General Meeting. Trustees shall be members of the club 
and be eligible for re-appointment. Trustees shall be allowed to attend Committee meetings at any 
time but shall not take part in any vote. Trustees shall be allowed to scrutinise the Club accounts 
at any time if desired. The Trustees of the Club shall be provided with indemnity insurance the 
cost of the insurance premium to be met by the Club. If a Trustee resigns or is prevented from 
carrying out his or her responsibilities during their year of office a Special Meeting shall be 
called under Rule 14 to appoint a replacement Trustee.
22. Every full member shall be entitled to attend and vote at all general meetings of the Club and 
ten members shall form a quorum. Most votes shall decide on all questions brought before the 
meetings and the Chairman shall have the casting vote in addition to his/her vote as a member in 
the event of a tied vote
23. Children will be allowed in the Club Concert Room on arranged nights. They must be accompanied 
by an adult member/visitor. The adult shall be always responsible for the child/children in the 
Club. Children are not allowed at the bar at any time. The Club will not be responsible for any 
child leaving the Club unaccompanied by the adult Member/Visitor
24. All members and visitors are expected to behave in an orderly manner after leaving the
Club’s premises at any time

AMENDMENTS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

There shall be an Annual General Meeting each year in March or as near to that date as possible
The Annual General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary in line with rule 1a of the model rules
Notice of the AGM date should be posted in the Club at least 14 days prior to the meeting being 
held.
Motions or Rule changes for the AGM must be presented to the Secretary’s at least14 days
before the annual general meeting, to allow the Secretary to display the AGM date and

time (14 days before the meeting) and to display any motion or rule change intended so that members 
have prior notice to the proposed motion or rule change allowing members to amend or make a counter 
proposal to the proposed motion or rule change.
Any amendment or counter proposal to a proposed motion or rule change must be presented to the 
Secretary at least 7 days before the AGM.
Rule 17 shall be part of the AGM agenda allowing the auditors to attend the AGM to give a financial 
statement to the members – Members have the right to question the Auditor on
the report