DDMC Constitution and Rules

1. Title
   The name of the Club shall be “Devizes and District Motor Club” referred to hereafter as “the Club”.
2. Objectives
   The Club shall be registered with Motorsport UK (referred to hereafter as MSUK) so that it may organise and promote motorsport events under the MSUK National Competition Rules. In addition, the Club shall have the following objectives:
   2.1. To further interest in motoring and motorsport.
   2.2. To provide members with information, advice and assistance on matters connected with motoring and motorsport.
   2.3. To arrange visits, lectures, discussions and social events.
   2.4. To afford members such benefits and privileges as it may be possible to obtain.
3. Membership
   Membership of the Club shall consist of:
   3.1. Life or Honorary members.
   3.2. Ordinary members
   3.3. Family members
   3.4. Associate members (who have no voting powers or the right to enter an event under the Club’s name).
4. Management
   The authority and responsibility for the transaction of the business of the Club shall be vested in a committee who, in addition to the powers and authorities expressly conferred on them by the Rules of this Constitution, may exercise all powers and act in furtherance of the objectives of the Club as set out above in paragraph 2. The Committee may, from time to time, alter Policies for the conduct of the Club. No change can be made that is inconsistent with the Constitution.
5. Election of Officers
   The Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Competition Secretary and Safeguarding Officer shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting. This meeting will be held every November to allow for any changes in the Officials to be notified to the necessary bodies, although the Club year for the purpose of membership and Championships shall run from 1st January until 31st December. Exceptionally, Officers may be elected at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Retiring Officers and members shall all be eligible for re-election subject to the rules set out in paragraph 7.
6. Duties of Officers
   The duties of the Club Officers shall be as set out in Appendix 1.
7. Committee
   The Committee shall consist of not less than five and not more than 15 members to include the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Competition Secretary and Safeguarding Officer. One half of the members of the Committee shall form a quorum.
   7.1. The Committee shall have the power to appoint a sub-committee of not less than three persons to act on any matter specifically referred to it by the Committee.
   7.2. Nominations for candidates for election to the Committee must be received by the Secretary not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting. The nominee must be a current Club member, confirm his/her willingness to stand and be proposed and seconded by current members, in writing.
   7.3. One member of the organising team of a main event run by the Club will be selected to report to the Committee regarding the organisation and planning of the event.
   7.4. There will be a minimum of four Committee meetings per year.
   7.5. The Committee may periodically issue advice to Club members e.g. specimen event regulations.
8. Meetings of the Club
   The Club shall meet monthly on the first Tuesday of every month, unless agreed otherwise by the Committee. The Club meeting shall take the form of an open discussion session with an Agenda and chaired by the Club Chairman, Vice Chairman or, in their absence, another Committee member. This meeting may discuss the day to day running of the Club but has no power to amend the Club Constitution or Rules.
9. Voting
   Each fully paid-up member (except Associate members) present at an Annual General Meeting, Extraordinary General Meeting, Committee meeting or Club meeting shall only have one vote. There shall be a vote by ballot if any three Committee members so demand. The Chairman has a casting vote in addition to his/her own vote to be used solely to resolve the outcome of a tied vote.
10. Finance
    All monies paid to the Club shall be paid by the Treasurer into the Club bank account(s), and no payments made except those in accordance with the wishes and aims of the Club.
    10.1. Two signatures from three authorised persons i.e. Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer will be required to authorise payments or online approval.
    10.2. If an expenditure is to exceed £1,000 the Committee must be informed in advance of the payment which will require three authorised signatures.
11. Duration of Membership
    Membership of the Club shall continue for the period covered by the current subscription i.e. 52 weeks from the 1st January in each year. However, in the case of members joining in the last week of the year, the period shall be 53 weeks.
12. Subscription
    The rates of subscription shall be as follows:
    12.1. Ordinary members – £15
    12.2. Family and joint members – £20
    12.3. Associate members – £5
    12.4. Club Officers and Committee members shall receive free membership while they remain in post.
    12.5. Members who have given special service to the Club may be elected by the Committee as Life Members/Honorary members and will receive free membership.
    12.6. Members who join the Club in September will only have to pay half of the annual subscription for the remainder of the year.
    12.7. The rates of subscription may only be changed at an Annual General Meeting.
13. Non-Payment of Subscription
    Any member of the Club who has not paid his/her subscription within one month of the due date i.e. 1st January of any year shall forfeit his/her membership. Non-paying members will receive the Club magazine and Club notices until the end of February as a reminder. No member whose subscription is in arrears shall be eligible to take part in any competitions organised by the Club under the rules of MSUK.
14. Members Conduct
    If any member acts in such a way that is perceived to be unacceptable, or that brings the Club into disrepute or causes the Club to breach any MSUK regulation, it shall be the duty of the Committee to investigate such a matter. They must give any member involved 14 day’s notice of such an inquiry and invite him/her to attend a meeting to consider the matter. Such a member will be allowed to address the meeting either verbally or in writing and must be given the decision of the Committee within seven days of the meeting. The outcome of such a inquiry will extend from no further action, through admonishment and temporary or permanent exclusion from the Club.
15. Use of Club Name and Address
    The registered address of the Club will normally be the address of the Secretary. The name and address of the Club shall not be used by any member for any reason whatsoever without the formal permission of the Chairman and Secretary.
16. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    The Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held every November. The AGM shall:
    16.1. Receive from the Treasurer a full set of accounts for the period from the preceding AGM.
    16.2. Receive from the Chairman a report of the activities of the Club from the preceding AGM.
    16.3. Elect members of the Committee.
    16.4. Determine any Resolutions or Motions put to the meeting (in accordance with paragraph 18 below).
17. Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
    An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened by direction of the Committee, or at the request of at least 15 Club members. Such a request must be made in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days before the next Club meeting and the Secretary is required to notify the Club members of an EGM at least 14 days before said EGM. A quorum shall be formed by 15 paid-up Club members.
18. Agenda
    Any matters to be discussed at an AGM or EGM must be submitted by two Club members, in writing, to the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting for inclusion on the agenda.
19. Club Rules
    Every member binds him/herself to abide by the rules of the Club and those of the MSUK and to accept as binding the decision of the Committee in all cases of dispute and/or interpretation of the Rules.
    19.1. The Rules of the Club may only be amended at an AGM or EGM.
    19.2. A copy of the Constitution and Rules, Club Policies and Championship Rules are available to view on the Club website. Members may also request hard copies of these documents from the Secretary.
20. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
    The Club will promote a policy of inclusion. For the purposes of this policy “inclusion” means access for all. It means recognising differences between individuals/groups and providing opportunities for them to participate in Club activities regardless of those differences, whether this is as a club member, competitor, marshal, official, volunteer or family member.
21. Race with Respect
    The Club will commit to the MSUK Respect Code #RaceWithRespect which champions a high standard of behaviour from everyone within the motorsport community. The Code requires the Club and its members to adhere to the following values:
    • Respect
    • Integrity
    • Fair Play
    • Self-control
    • Good Manners

This updated constitution has been signed off by Devizes & District Motor Club on 1st July 2025.

Club Policies